Majority of Nigerians made it through the emotional rollercoaster that is 2016, but many fell along the way.Here are some notable deaths that rocked us during the year:James Ocholi (November 26, 1960 – March 6, 2016)OcholiThe Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi, died in a road crash along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway on March 6, 2016. His wife, Blessing, and son, Joshua, also lost their lives in the crash.Maj. Gen. Yushau AbubakarAbubakarThe Chief of Training and Operation of the Nigerian Army,Maj. Gen. Yushau Abubakar, lost his life in a road accident along the Maiduguri-Damaturu Road on March 8, 2016.Felix Ibru (December 7, 1935 – March 12, 2016)The first elected governor of Delta State, Felix Ibru, passed away on March 12, 2016 at the age of 80.Tunji Braithwaite (1933 – 2016)BraithwaiteLawyer, activist, politician and elder statesman, Tunji Braithwaite passed on at a hospital in Lagos on March 28, 2016. He was 82.Oba Erediauwa of Benin (1923 – 2016)On Friday, April 29, 2016, the Iyase of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, announced that the Oba of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolopkolo Erediauwa, has passed on. The Oba, who succeeded his father, Oba Akenzua II, on March 23, 1979 as the 38th Oba of Benin Kingdom, reigned for 37 years.Giwa FC goalkeeper Timothy OkereOkereTimothy Okere, one of Giwa Football Club’s goalkeepers died after a prolonged spinal cord-related ailment in Jos on May 4.Henrietta Kosoko (May 30, 1964 – June 6, 2016)kosokoNollywood actress, filmmaker, and wife of veteran actor Jide Kosoko, Henrietta, died on Monday, June 6, 2016 after a long battle with diabetes.Stephen Keshi (January 23, 1962 – June 7, 2016)KeshiFormer Super Eagles captain and coach, Stephen Keshi, died suddenly in Benin City, Edo State on June 7 after suffering a heart attack. The Nigerian football legend was54.Amodu Shaibu (April 18, 1958 – June 10, 2016)ShuaibuFormer Super Eagles coach and Technical Director of theNigeria Football Federation, Amodu Shuaibu, died in his sleep in Benin City, Edo State on June 10, 2016.His death, which came just three days after that of his close friend, Stephen Keshi, shocked the football community in Nigeria and beyond.OJB Jezreel (July 4, 1966 – June 14, 2016)OJBNigerian music producer and singer, Babatunde Okungbowa, popularly known as OJB Jezreel, died in Lagos on June 14 as a result of kidney failure.Niki Tobi (July 14, 1940 – June 16, 2016)TobiA former Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Niki Tobi, died in Abuja on Thursday, June 16, 2016 less than a month to his 76th birthday.Elechi Amadi (May 12, 1934 – June 29, 2016)AmadiPopular Nigerian author, Capt. Elechi Amadi, who wrote famous books like The Concubine, Isiburu, Sunset in Biafra, and Peppersoup and The Road to Ibadan, died aged 82 in Port Harcourt on June 29 – about a week afterhe became ill.Ojo Maduekwe (May 6, 1945 – June 29, 2016)MaduekweFormer Minister of Foreign Affairs and member of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees, Ojo Maduekwe, died aged 71 in Abuja on June 29, 2016.Bukky Ajayi (February 2, 1934 – July 6, 2016)AjayiThe iconic Nollywood actress died in Lagos on July 6, 2016 at the age of 82 with tributes pouring in from the many Nigerians who grew up watching her as well as those who worked with her.Shettima Ali-Mongonu (1926 – 2016)MongunoA former Minister of Mines, Power and Petroleum, and President of OPEC, Shettima Ali-Monguno, died on Friday,July 8, 2016 in Maiduguri, Borno State.Rep Adewale Elijah-Oluwatayo (1951 – 2016)ElijahThe representative of the Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Adewale Elijah-Oluwatayo, died suddenly in Abuja on July 20, 2016. He was 65.Oba Michael Sonariwo (1936 – 2016)SonariwoThe Akarigbo of Remoland and Chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas, Oba Michael Sonariwo, joined his ancestors on July 24, 2016 aged 80 at a hospital in the United Kingdom.Michael Ibru (December 25, 1930 – September 6, 2016)IbruThe Head of the Ibru Organisation, and Otota of Agbarha-Otor kingdom, Michael Ibru, died at the age of 85 on September 6 at a hospital in the United States after a long illness.Etim Inyang (December 25, 1931 – September 26, 2016)Former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Etim InyangEtim Inyang, Nigeria’s 6th Inspector General of Police (1984 – 1986) died at a hospital in Lagos on September 26, 2016.Chris JeyiboJeyiboThe Chairman of Koga Entertainment, owner of Koga Studio, Chris Jeyibo, was killed in the wee hours of October 7 when his Range Rover ran into a stationary truck in the Magodo axis of Lagos.Lt.-Col. Muhammad Ali (August 15, 1980 – November 4, 2016)AliOne of the Nigerian Army’s bravest and gallant officers, the Commanding Officer of 272 Task Force Tank Battalion, Lt.-Col. Muhammad Ali was killed in a Boko Haram Ambush on November 4, 2016. Even the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, could not hold back tears after he died.Olaniwun Ajayi (April 8, 1925 – November 4, 2016)AjayiSolicitor and Advocate, Notary Public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Afenifere chieftain, Olaniwun Ajayi passed away on November 4 at 91.Ibrahim Dasuki (December 31, 1923 – November 14, 2016)DasukiThe 18th Sultan of Sokoto, who was on the throne from November 2, 1988 to April 22, 1996 when he was deposed by Gen. Sani Abacha, died after a protracted illness on November 14 aged 92.Rasheed Gbadamosi (December 7, 1943 – November 16, 2016)GbadamosiA former Minister of National Planning, industrialist, art collector and writer, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, died on November 16, 2016 at the age of 72.Fred AgbajeAgbajeHuman rights lawyer, Fred Agbaje, died from an undisclosed ailment in London on November 26, 2016.Bola Kuforiji-Olubi (September 28,1936 – December 3, 2016)Kuforiji-OlubiA former banker and minister of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, passed away aged 80 on December 3, 2016.Rahma HarunaHarunaThe Kano State born girl without limbs and who was moved about in a washbasin died on December 25 at the age of 19 years after a brief illness at her Lahadin Makole’s home, Warawa Local Government Area of Kano.Chief Francis OkpozoOkpozoA Second Republic Senator and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Francis Okpozo, died at theage of 84 in Delta State on December 26, 2016 after a brief illness.
Friday 30 December 2016
Year in review: Notable deaths of 2016
Majority of Nigerians made it through the emotional rollercoaster that is 2016, but many fell along the way.Here are some notable deaths that rocked us during the year:James Ocholi (November 26, 1960 – March 6, 2016)OcholiThe Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi, died in a road crash along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway on March 6, 2016. His wife, Blessing, and son, Joshua, also lost their lives in the crash.Maj. Gen. Yushau AbubakarAbubakarThe Chief of Training and Operation of the Nigerian Army,Maj. Gen. Yushau Abubakar, lost his life in a road accident along the Maiduguri-Damaturu Road on March 8, 2016.Felix Ibru (December 7, 1935 – March 12, 2016)The first elected governor of Delta State, Felix Ibru, passed away on March 12, 2016 at the age of 80.Tunji Braithwaite (1933 – 2016)BraithwaiteLawyer, activist, politician and elder statesman, Tunji Braithwaite passed on at a hospital in Lagos on March 28, 2016. He was 82.Oba Erediauwa of Benin (1923 – 2016)On Friday, April 29, 2016, the Iyase of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, announced that the Oba of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolopkolo Erediauwa, has passed on. The Oba, who succeeded his father, Oba Akenzua II, on March 23, 1979 as the 38th Oba of Benin Kingdom, reigned for 37 years.Giwa FC goalkeeper Timothy OkereOkereTimothy Okere, one of Giwa Football Club’s goalkeepers died after a prolonged spinal cord-related ailment in Jos on May 4.Henrietta Kosoko (May 30, 1964 – June 6, 2016)kosokoNollywood actress, filmmaker, and wife of veteran actor Jide Kosoko, Henrietta, died on Monday, June 6, 2016 after a long battle with diabetes.Stephen Keshi (January 23, 1962 – June 7, 2016)KeshiFormer Super Eagles captain and coach, Stephen Keshi, died suddenly in Benin City, Edo State on June 7 after suffering a heart attack. The Nigerian football legend was54.Amodu Shaibu (April 18, 1958 – June 10, 2016)ShuaibuFormer Super Eagles coach and Technical Director of theNigeria Football Federation, Amodu Shuaibu, died in his sleep in Benin City, Edo State on June 10, 2016.His death, which came just three days after that of his close friend, Stephen Keshi, shocked the football community in Nigeria and beyond.OJB Jezreel (July 4, 1966 – June 14, 2016)OJBNigerian music producer and singer, Babatunde Okungbowa, popularly known as OJB Jezreel, died in Lagos on June 14 as a result of kidney failure.Niki Tobi (July 14, 1940 – June 16, 2016)TobiA former Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice Niki Tobi, died in Abuja on Thursday, June 16, 2016 less than a month to his 76th birthday.Elechi Amadi (May 12, 1934 – June 29, 2016)AmadiPopular Nigerian author, Capt. Elechi Amadi, who wrote famous books like The Concubine, Isiburu, Sunset in Biafra, and Peppersoup and The Road to Ibadan, died aged 82 in Port Harcourt on June 29 – about a week afterhe became ill.Ojo Maduekwe (May 6, 1945 – June 29, 2016)MaduekweFormer Minister of Foreign Affairs and member of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees, Ojo Maduekwe, died aged 71 in Abuja on June 29, 2016.Bukky Ajayi (February 2, 1934 – July 6, 2016)AjayiThe iconic Nollywood actress died in Lagos on July 6, 2016 at the age of 82 with tributes pouring in from the many Nigerians who grew up watching her as well as those who worked with her.Shettima Ali-Mongonu (1926 – 2016)MongunoA former Minister of Mines, Power and Petroleum, and President of OPEC, Shettima Ali-Monguno, died on Friday,July 8, 2016 in Maiduguri, Borno State.Rep Adewale Elijah-Oluwatayo (1951 – 2016)ElijahThe representative of the Ifako-Ijaiye Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Adewale Elijah-Oluwatayo, died suddenly in Abuja on July 20, 2016. He was 65.Oba Michael Sonariwo (1936 – 2016)SonariwoThe Akarigbo of Remoland and Chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas, Oba Michael Sonariwo, joined his ancestors on July 24, 2016 aged 80 at a hospital in the United Kingdom.Michael Ibru (December 25, 1930 – September 6, 2016)IbruThe Head of the Ibru Organisation, and Otota of Agbarha-Otor kingdom, Michael Ibru, died at the age of 85 on September 6 at a hospital in the United States after a long illness.Etim Inyang (December 25, 1931 – September 26, 2016)Former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Etim InyangEtim Inyang, Nigeria’s 6th Inspector General of Police (1984 – 1986) died at a hospital in Lagos on September 26, 2016.Chris JeyiboJeyiboThe Chairman of Koga Entertainment, owner of Koga Studio, Chris Jeyibo, was killed in the wee hours of October 7 when his Range Rover ran into a stationary truck in the Magodo axis of Lagos.Lt.-Col. Muhammad Ali (August 15, 1980 – November 4, 2016)AliOne of the Nigerian Army’s bravest and gallant officers, the Commanding Officer of 272 Task Force Tank Battalion, Lt.-Col. Muhammad Ali was killed in a Boko Haram Ambush on November 4, 2016. Even the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, could not hold back tears after he died.Olaniwun Ajayi (April 8, 1925 – November 4, 2016)AjayiSolicitor and Advocate, Notary Public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Afenifere chieftain, Olaniwun Ajayi passed away on November 4 at 91.Ibrahim Dasuki (December 31, 1923 – November 14, 2016)DasukiThe 18th Sultan of Sokoto, who was on the throne from November 2, 1988 to April 22, 1996 when he was deposed by Gen. Sani Abacha, died after a protracted illness on November 14 aged 92.Rasheed Gbadamosi (December 7, 1943 – November 16, 2016)GbadamosiA former Minister of National Planning, industrialist, art collector and writer, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, died on November 16, 2016 at the age of 72.Fred AgbajeAgbajeHuman rights lawyer, Fred Agbaje, died from an undisclosed ailment in London on November 26, 2016.Bola Kuforiji-Olubi (September 28,1936 – December 3, 2016)Kuforiji-OlubiA former banker and minister of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, passed away aged 80 on December 3, 2016.Rahma HarunaHarunaThe Kano State born girl without limbs and who was moved about in a washbasin died on December 25 at the age of 19 years after a brief illness at her Lahadin Makole’s home, Warawa Local Government Area of Kano.Chief Francis OkpozoOkpozoA Second Republic Senator and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Francis Okpozo, died at theage of 84 in Delta State on December 26, 2016 after a brief illness.
Singer resigns from choir over Trump
A member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has quit the group rather than sing at Donald Trump’s inauguration and appear to endorse “tyranny and fascism.”In a resignation letter posted on her Facebook page Thursday, Jan Chamberlin said she had agonized over whether to sing at the January 20 ceremony and “spent several sleepless nights and days in turmoil.”She said her only option, finally, was to quit the famed choir.“I simply cannot continue with the recent turn of events,” she wrote. “I could never look myself in the mirror again with self-respect.”The singer, who had been with the choir for five years, said her decision came down to upholding her moral values.“I only know I could never ‘throw roses to Hitler.’ And I certainly could never sing for him,” she wrote.Chamberlin said while she respected the choir’s bid to be politically neutral, “I also know, looking from the outside in, it will appear that (the) choir is endorsing tyranny and fascism by singing for this man.”Her open letter came a week after it was announced that the 360-member choir, which has a long tradition of performing for presidents, and the Radio City Rockettes would appear at Trump’s inauguration.Several members of the dance troupe have also expressed reservations about performing at the event.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which runs the choir, would not comment on Chamberlin’s decision. A spokesman said performing at the inauguration was voluntary and that only a limited number of singers would participate due to limited space.A petition urging the choir to snub the ceremony has gained nearly 24,000 signatures.Only a smattering of artists backed Trump’s election bid and the Republican president-elect has struggled to pin down big names for the January 20 event in Washington, with high-profile stars including Elton John turning down invites.
Thursday 29 December 2016
Shekau video mere terrorists’ propaganda – Army
This screen grab image taken on December 29, 2016 from a video released on Youtube by Islamist group Boko Haram shows Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau making a statement at an undisclosed location. The embattled leader of jihadist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, appeared in a new video disputing a claim by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari that the jihadist group had been routed from its Sambisa Forest stronghold. "We are safe. We have not been flushed out of anywhere. And tactics and strategies cannot reveal our location except if Allah wills by his decree," Shekau said in the 25-minute video, flanked by armed fighters. / AFP PHOTO / BOKO HARAM AND AFP PHOTO / HO
The Nigerian Army has described the video purportedly released by the Boko Haram showing its leader as “mere terrorists’ propaganda.”
A statement by Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman in Abuja on Thursday said the attention of the Nigerian Army had been drawn to the video clip released by the group from an undisclosed location, showing its purported leader, Shekau, making spurious claims.
“While effort is on going to subject the video to further forensic analysis, the Nigerian Army wishes to reiterate that it has captured and occupied the last known stronghold of the terrorists group in the Sambisa forest.
“We would like to reassure the public that this video is nothing but mere terrorists propaganda aimed at creating fear in the mind of people and to remain relevant.
“Therefore, there is no cause for alarm, more so as concerted effort in clearing the vestiges of Boko Haram terrorists wherever they might be hiding, is ongoing.
“Our gallant troops deployed in various parts of the North-East have continued to intensify search for all persons associated with Boko Haram terrorist group with a view to bringing them to justice”, Usman said.
He urged the public to go about their normal lawful business, remain vigilant and be security conscious; adding that any suspicious person or group of persons should be reported to the security agencies. (NAN)
ASUU alleges N2bn fraud at University of Ilorin
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, alleging more than N2bn fraud against the management of the University of Ilorin.
The petition was jointly signed by the Ibadan Zone Chairmen of ASUU, Doctors Ade Adejumo and Deji Omole.
Others are Dr. Biodun Olaniran of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; Dr. Dauda Adeshina of Kwara State University; and Dr. Kayode Afolayan of the University of Ilorin.
ASUU, in the petition, said the former Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and the incumbent Abdulganiyu Ambali, were involved in a fraud totalling more than N2bn.
ASUU described the University of Ilorin management as one of the most corrupt in any higher institution.
According to the petition, the institution has been operating under the pretext of keeping stable academic calendar to silence whistle blowers while perpetrating enormous fraud.
The allegations listed in the petition included pension fraud, unremitted deductions, extortion from students, contract inflation and kick-backs; as well as unlawful payments to ex-principal officers of the university.
Adejumo urged the EFCC to investigate the “monumental fraud perpetrated by the past and present administrations of the university.’’
They said the former vice chancellor, in 2011, doubled the amount of pension being deducted from staff under the pretext that the previous deductions were lower than what the law prescribed.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the legal minimum prescribed by Pension Act at the time was 7.5 per cent of emoluments and staff were paying even above this minimum.
“By way of comparison, in federal universities such as University of Lagos and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, the sum of N20, N124 and N62 is deducted from each professor’s salary as pension contribution per month.
“However, in the University of Ilorin, the sum of N40, N206 and N42 is deducted monthly for the same pension contribution, contrary to law’’, it stated.
The petitioners also alleged a fraud of N1.5bn jointly perpetrated by the immediate past vice chancellor and the incumbent on fraudulent and unremitted deductions from staff salaries.
“Our preliminary investigations revealed that billions of naira have been extorted from population of about 35,000 students, including sandwich students, over the past years.
The union, therefore, called on the EFCC to do a diligent and thorough investigation of the allegations, adding that the anti-corruption agency would discover a can of worms.
A copy of the petition was stamped by the EFCC as received and dated 29th December, 2016. (NAN)
Fire destroys multi-million naira foodstuff in Ondo market
The popular Odopetu market in Akure, the Ondo State capital,
was gutted by fire on Thursday morning, destroying commodities worth
million of naira.Though there was no life lost in the incident, it was gathered that many shops that were stocked with foodstuff were completely destroyed.
Though, the exact cause of the fire was not known as of the time of filing this report, the affected traders said the fire was a mysterious one.
A source told our correspondent that the fire could be as a
result of a power surge but in opposition, another source said there was
no power supply to the area when the fire started in the midnight
One of the residents of the area said, ” The cause of the
fire incident is not clear yet to anyone because everybody has gone to
sleep and all the traders have all gone home. We just heard the noise in
the night and we got there and saw everywhere on fire.”It was also gathered that men of the Ondo State Fire Service were not around to put out the fire as all efforts made by the residents to reach them were unsuccessful.
One the affected traders who identified herself as Mrs. Janet Olorunfemi, while lamenting the incident, said she just stocked her shop with foodstuff to sell for the Christmas and New Yer Festival.
400 Level Osun varsity student buried amidst tears
The 400 Level student of the Osun State University, Miss Rofiat Adebisi, whose corpse was found at Iragbiji, was buried in Osogbo on Thursday amidst weeping and wailing by family members, friends and students.
Adebisi was buried in Owo Eba area, near Ilesa Garage area of Osogbo, the Osun State capital according to Islamic injunction.
Sympathisers and journalists had waited for hours for the remains of the deceased to be brought to the burial site, but some members of her family who were youths later came and asked journalists to leave the place.
One of them said journalists who did not join them while they were searching for the deceased only came around now to report the burial. He asked them to leave the place to avoid harassment.
But one of those who witnessed the interment told our correspondent that Rofiat, who was the last born of her family, was buried amidst weeping and wailing by her family members and friends.
The Chairman of NASFAT Osogbo branch, Abdulrasheed Adeyemo, who spoke with our correspondent shortly before the interment described the death as “painful”.
Adeyemo said the lady did not make it to NASFAT camp which she planned to attend because her name was not found on the register of those who attended the camping programme.
He stated that he saw the deceased, who was the Acting General Secretary of NASFAT on Ipetu Ijesa Campus of UNIOSUN last Thursday.
He called on security agencies to unravel the circumstances surrounding her death, saying the whole world wanted to know those who killed her.
It will be recalled that the deceased was said to have left Ipetu Ijesa for Ikoyi town, but she was found dead in Iragbiji some days after.
Man planning attack on Third Mainland Bridge arrested –Police
Afeez Hanafi
A suspected member of a militant group
allegedly planning to blow up the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State,
has been arrested by the police in Majidun, Ikorodu area of the state.
The suspect, Abiodun Amos, aka Senti, was said to be a bomb expert, who had participated in several robbery attacks and kidnappings in Lagos and Ogun states.
PUNCH Metro learnt that two
Ak-47 rifles concealed in a bag and a vehicle loaded with dynamite and
detonators were recovered from the suspect’s hideouts around the creeks
in Majidun.
It was gathered that Amos’ arrest
followed an intelligence report received by the office of the National
Security Adviser to the President.
The report was said to have been passed
onto the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who directed the
Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, led by ACP Abba
Kyari, to go after the group.
A police source disclosed to our
correspondent that Amos was a top commander of a militant group, which
had been terrorising communities in Lagos and Ogun states.
The source said, “The suspect is a
member of a militant group operating from the creeks of Ikorodu and
Arepo areas of Lagos and Ogun states. The police got an intelligence
report from the office of the NSA that Amos and his gang members wanted
to blow up the Third Mainland Bridge.
“The group was trailed to a river bank
in the Majidun area, where the suspect, an expert in explosive, was
arrested. Two Ak-47 rifles hidden in a Ghana-Must-Go bag were
found in his possession and he led operatives to a vehicle parked
discreetly within Ikorodu, and a large cache of dynamite and detonators
were recovered from its boot.”
PUNCH Metro learnt from another
source that some members of the gang earlier arrested gave detectives
information that led to Amos’ arrest, adding that the police were on the
trail of other members of the gang.
“After receiving the report, the IG
directed the IRT operatives to commence a full-scale investigation and
it was discovered that the group actually planned to blow up the bridge
at the end of November 2016. The suspect, who coordinated the plan, was
arrested before the scheduled date,” the source added.
In his confessional statement, Amos, who
hails from Arugbo in the Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State,
reportedly told the police that his gang was frustrated by the military
operations against pipeline vandals.
The 43-year-old man said his gang went
into kidnapping after the bombardment of the creeks, adding that the
botched attack on the bridge was initiated by the overall ringleader
identified as General Ossy.
“We went into bank robberies and
kidnapping because we wanted to get government’s attention and all we
wanted was for them to grant us amnesty and offer us pipeline protection
contract. We have made several appeals, but the government is not
listening to us.
“General Ossy said if we didn’t
blow up the Third Mainland Bridge, government would not listen to us.
We had concluded plans and we decided to carry out the attack by
November ending. I am the group’s explosive expert. We were about going
into the creek to conclude plans on how to carry out the attack when I
was arrested.”
The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP
Don Awunah, confirmed the arrest and seizure of the explosives, saying
investigation was ongoing.
He said, “An arrest was made of an
individual. While the police operatives were pursuing another one in a
vehicle, he abandoned the vehicle and ran but he was tracked down. Some
explosives were discovered in the vehicle and two Ak-47 guns were
recovered from him.”
Audio: Wike confesses to playing ignoble role in Rivers election rerun
In what appeared to be a confessional, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has told Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State how he used his office to influence the election rerun in his state.
As if to show utmost contempt for the Nigerian State, the duo of Fayose and Wike thrashed the Nigerian Army, describing it in crass manner.
The two governors are members of the Peoples Democratic Party, on whose platform they were elected into office.
No less than three people had died during the elections that were marred by violence and horrendous electoral malpractices.
In a second of such recorded audios where Wike could be heard boasting about his criminal exploits during the election, the following exchange took place between him and Fayose:
Wike: Ayodele my son!
Fayose: You think I’m Nigerian Army member?
Wike: Nigerian Army does not exist again now!
Fayose: Ah, Wike, you tried!
Wike: (Laughter) Ha! Ha! Ha….!
Fayose: Everybody has been calling me! Wike, you are the man! You faced the whole country’s military threat…
Wike: (Laughter)
Fayose: They were shooting when you went o..!
Wike: My brother, you have to fight to the last o…! Kill everybody you can kill… Everybody you can kill!
Fayose: Ah! You’re the man of the year! This one is too much for one person! Everyone couldn’t know the way forward!
Wike: (Laughter)
Fayose: You went to collating centre!
Wike: Yes, I had to stop there!
Fayose: Eh! The video is all over now! See the way they’re shooting!
Wike: (Laughter)
Fayose: All over! Aaaargh! Congrats!
Wike: My brother, thank god for everything. It is god.
Fayose: I’m sure we are still going to go to court against them for the other one.
Wike: Of course. Of course! We’ll fight it out!
Fayose: You’ve done well for all of us!
Wike: We thank god, my brother!
Fayose: I’ll call you later.
Wike: Okay.
Canadian sisters arrested for ‘sextortion’ apologise to Otedola
Two Indian-Canadian sisters, Jyoti and Kiran Matharoo, owners of NaijaGistLive.com have issued apologies to oil business magnate Femi Otedola and his family after they were charged to court for cyber bullying, blackmail and extortion last Friday.
The sisters were charged to court for producing false stories about the billionaire businessman, his wife and daughter, DJ Cuppy.
It was gathered that the Police arrested the duo after the oil business mogul filed a complaint.
The owners of the website are alleged to have been using the site to extort money from wealthy Nigerian. It was gathered that videos of the sisters having sex with top wealthy Nigerians and other Africans were found on their computers after they were arrested.
Jyoti and Kiran Matharoo made confessional statements revealing they own the site and issued an apology to Otedola for allegedly plotting to blackmail him. The sisters may be sentenced to a maximum of four years in prison for cyber bullying, blackmail and extortion if found guilty.
The sisters were arraigned and their plea taken. They pleaded not guilty and the case was adjourned to January 26th, 2017. The judge gave them bail conditions but if they don’t meet it, they will be remanded in prison till January 26 2017.
No plastic, only contaminated rice in Nigeria – NAFDAC
The National Agency for Food and Drug
Administration and Control on Thursday said laboratory result of the
suspected fake rice showed that the product was not plastic but rice
contaminated with micro organisms.
The Acting Director General, NAFDAC,
Yetunde Oni, said this at a news conference in conjuction with the
Nigeria Customs Service in Abuja.
Oni said the seized rice was
unsatisfactory and therefore unwholesome for human consumption,
stressing that the consignment would be destroyed upon handover by the
NCS.
She explained that the product branded
”Best Tomato”, was in 25kg bag, without NAFDAC number, batch number,
date markings and details of the manufacturer.
She said that `floating’ was negative,
sedimentation was positive, cooking was normal, odour was normal, colour
was off-white and E-coli was within specification.
She said lead and cadmium were not
detected, pre-ashing was normal, ash, moisture and mould were within
specification but coli form was above maximum limits.
Oni called on the public to report
suspicious cases about all NAFDAC regulated products to any of the
offices across the nation for prompt regulatory action.
She also said that the following numbers could be contacted for enquiries: 08013630600, 09094262773 and 08033112282.
The Comptroller-General, NCS, Col.
Hameed Ali, said irrespective of the outcome of the laboratory analysis,
customs would remain vigilant and alive to its responsibilities.
Ali, who was represented by the Deputy
Comptroller-General, Tariff and Trade, Umar Iya, said NCS was guided by
intelligence reports.
”Intelligence reports indicate that
several metric tonnes of expired and dangerous rice are still lying in
wait in warehouses in neighbouring countries and the target of the
products is the Nigerian market”, he said.
Ali said that the NCS would intensify patrols to ensure that such economic saboteurs do not succeed.
He urged warehouse owners and
transporters across the country not to accept such smuggled products in
their facilities or vehicles respectively.
He warned that both the smuggled products and means of conveyance were liable to seizure.
(NAN)
Buildings housing 81 police families to be demolished in Lagos
The Nigeria Police in Lagos State, on Thursday said three more buildings housing 81 police families would be pulled down at the Highway Police Barracks, Ikeja due to structural defects.
Mr Maigari Dikko, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), in charge of Works disclosed the plan to newsmen while inspecting a building that collapsed in same barrack where two persons lost their lives.
A Sergeant and a civilian lost their lives on Christmas Day when part of the toilet collapsed while they bathed.
That building was later pull down on the instruction of the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Fatai Owoseni.
The DIG works said he was instructed by the Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris to visit the scene of incident and also to commiserate with the families of those that lost their lives.
“We have told some of them to vacate the buildings. The buildings are defective; they have been served quit notice to leave for a long time.
“We have asked Commissioner of Police in charge of Lagos command and the works department to enforce the relocation. We do not want a repeat of the incident in the barracks.
“The officers affected are not being evicted. They are asked to relocate for obvious reason of safety.
“Prevention is better than cure. The force headquarter is not sitting idle.
“We are working out a plan for a better rehabilitation of all defective buildings in all barracks across the nation. We are going to use our professionals to carry out the works.
“We are using direct labour to rehabilitate police barracks. The project will commence as soon as the government releases the needed fund’’, Dikko said.
The DIG said that all police officers affected would be given lodging allowance for relocation as soon as the government released the fund.
“That is the best we can do for them; we will not just throw them out, we will ensure they have something to relocate”, he added.
Some of the officers affected, on condition of anonymity, were happy about the promise of lodging allowance for their relocation.
The good and the bad sides of ‘zobo’ drink
Consumption of zobo drink is very effective in the management of hypertension due to its anti-hypertensive properties, says Dr. Ochuko Erukainure, a nutritional biochemist.
Erukainure, a senior research officer with the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Lagos State, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
According him…
• Zobo drink, also known as hibiscus drink, helps in reducing
cholesterol level, high blood pressure, diabetes and constipation in the
human system.
• It contains between 15 per cent and 30 per cent organic acids such as citric acid, maleic acid, and tartaric acid.
• It also contains acidic polysaccharides and flavonoid glycosides, such as cyanide and delphine.
• Zobo drink helps to lower blood pressure, as it contains an enzyme inhibitor which blocks the production of amylase.
• Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down complex sugars and starches,
• Drinking a cup of zobo after every meal would help to reduce the absorption of dietary carbohydrates and assist in weight loss.
• It is rich in Vitamin C and makes a wonderful herbal remedy to fight off colds and infections, while it also hydrates the body system.
• Do NOT add sugar to zobo drink so that its natural essence could be well-preserved and not contaminated by non-natural essences.
• Pregnant women may not consume zobo, as some studies had shown that it could lead to miscarriage.
• Some pregnant women may be allergic to zobo drink, as it might make them develop itchy red eyes, sinus or hay fever.
• Its safety during breast feeding is unknown and, therefore, it is best to avoid zobo drink when breastfeeding.
• Patients diagnosed with low blood pressure should not to drink zobo; and if they should, they should consult their doctors before doing so. (NAN)
Bomb scare in Yola
There was a pandemonium at the Federal College of Education, Yola, on Thursday over a bomb scare following the sighting of a strange bag in front of the school.
The development which obstructed traffic along the Jimeta-Yola Road for more than an hour, caught the attention of a team of policemen and soldiers.
The policemen from the Adamawa Anti-bomb Squad, who went into action immediately, however, discovered that the bag did not contain any explosives.
Addressing newsmen on the development, the Public Relations Officer of the Adamawa Police Command, SP Othman Abubakar, said that the bag contained waste materials.
Abubakar, however, commended members of the public for their vigilance and urged them to always alert the police whenever they sighted any suspicious object.
The Chief Security Officer of the college, Mr Salihu Muhammed,who reported the incident to the police, said that the suspicious bag was abandoned by unknown persons and that was why they immediately alerted the police.
Muhammed dismissed rumors circulating that the bag was found in the school premises saying; “ it is completely untrue, the bag was abandoned outside the college”.
(NAN)
US sanctions Russia over vote hacking
The United States on Thursday fired back at Moscow over its meddling in the presidential election, announcing a series of tough sanctions against intelligence agencies, expulsions of agents and shutting down of Russian compounds on US soil.
Obama had all but accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of personally ordering an audacious cyber hack that many Democrats believe damaged Hillary Clinton’s chances in November’s closely fought election with Republican foe Donald Trump.
The US intelligence community has concluded that a hack-and-release of Democratic Party and Clinton staff emails was designed to put Trump — a political neophyte who has praised Putin — into the Oval Office.
The measures are certain to send tensions with Moscow soaring just three weeks before Trump succeeds Obama.
“I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government’s aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election,” Obama said.
“These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in violation of established international norms of behavior.”
Among the measures announced were sanctions against Russia’s FSB and GRU intelligence agencies, the designation of 35 Russian operatives as “persona non grata” and the closure of two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that the United States says are used “for intelligence-related purposes.”
“All Americans should be alarmed by Russia’s actions,” Obama said.
“Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year.
“Such activities have consequences.”
– FSB, GRU targeted –
Washington accuses the Russian military’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of hacking information with the intent to interfere with the US election — and says the Federal Security Service (FSB) has helped.It will face sanctions, along with four individual GRU officers including agency chief Igor Valentinovich Korobov and three other entities.
In addition, the US Treasury slapped sanctions on two individuals, Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev and Aleksey Alekseyevich Belan, for “involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities.”
The sanctions freeze any assets they may have in the United States and blocks US businesses from doing business with them.
A total of 35 Russian intelligence operatives based at the Russian embassy in Washington and the consulate in San Francisco have been declared “persona non grata” and ordered to leave the country within 72 hours.
The US government is also declassifying technical information on Russian cyber activity to help companies defend against future attacks.
“These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia’s aggressive activities. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized,” Obama said.
“The United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia’s efforts to undermine established international norms of behavior, and interfere with democratic governance.”
Prior to November’s election, the Obama administration warned Russia via diplomatic channels to stop its cyber meddling, according to The Washington Post. Obama also spoke with Putin at a G20 summit in China earlier this year.
And about a week before the election, Washington sent a message to Moscow using a special crisis communication channel for the first time, asking it to stop targeting state voter registration and election systems.
Moscow apparently complied, according to US officials.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has been quoted as saying that Moscow will respond to any “hostile steps” from Washington.
What does Boko Haram’s ‘defeat’ mean?
The news that the terrorist group, Boko
Haram, has been “effectively” defeated was as satisfying as watching a
convoluted drama resolved with a deux ex machina turn in the plot. The
inchoate resolution evokes past cases of similar premature announcements
of Boko Haram’s defeat. If the Nigerian authorities’ history on Boko
Haram is anything to go by, this announcement is a mere cliff-hanger;
more episodes are coming.
In the past weeks, the Army has suffered
major losses in the Boko Haram war. This year alone, there have been
reports of missing troops and deaths of gallant soldiers at
battlefronts. Some of the reports were aggressively denied by relevant
authorities and further discussions about them deflected. Add to their
credibility issues the humiliation the Army suffered when a video made
rounds on social media purportedly showing fighting soldiers begging for
food and water. Then, suddenly, the war is over? This calls for
circumspection. Even more bizarre is the avalanche of congratulatory
messages being showered on President Muhammadu Buhari by various
backslappers.
As a Nigerian who has grieved over the
15,000 plus deaths, two million IDPs and other instances of pain Boko
Haram has caused, I should be rejoicing that the end has come for the
manic marauders. However, as also a Nigerian who has witnessed how the
war on Boko Haram has unconscionably transformed into a self-sustaining
military-political industrial complex and propaganda spinner, I am
rather restrained from celebrating what may turn out to be another
George Bush’s “mission accomplished” pyrrhic victory. Nigeria has
travelled this road many times and the macabre outcome has been more
acts of violence wreaked on defenceless citizens who were rushed to
their supposedly secure community to meet the schedule drawn up for
defeating Boko Haram. This time round, politicians cannot seem to
reiterate enough that Buhari p romised to end Boko Haram by end of 2016
and he delivered on his promise. I am not sure the necessity of the
haste for “end of year present” as lives lost cannot be replaced.
Hopefully, this is not another All Progressives Congress propaganda.
Just a year ago, that the same
government announced that Boko Haram had been “technically defeated.”
Buhari had boasted that they would defeat Boko Haram by end of 2015 and
with the calendar about to prove them wrong, they declared Boko Haram
defeated. Within 48 hours, the group responded with a deadly attack in
Adamawa and Borno states that claimed at least 50 lives. A shamed Lai
Muhammed, Minister of Information and Culture, quickly announced that
despite the fresh attacks the group had in fact atrophied, that they had
been deprived of their territory, and they lacked any wherewithal to
carry out their agenda of establishing an Islamic state. The worst they
could do, he said, was attack “soft targets,” a phrasing that minimises
the reality of the suffering of those being decimated by terrorist
activities.
The Boko Haram defeat announcement feels
like déjà vu except that the language has been changed from
“technically defeated” to “effectively defeated.” For a war that has
taken seven years, is this how it all ends? Why not address the nation
properly instead of pushing a terse press release and later sending an
aide to “clarify” the details? For instance, what does this land
reclamation truly mean in the battle against Boko Haram? Shortly before
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s government was voted out, the Army also
conducted operations that retrieved territories from Boko Haram but the
war has raged on. That means a loss of spatial territory by the
terrorists does not automatically translate into a loss of ideological
grounds as well. We also know that Boko Haram has extended its
operational tentacles into neighbouring countries like Chad and Niger
Republic from where they crisscross into Nigeria to unleash deadly
violence. What does this victory mean for the border crossers?
We should also know how the Operation Lafiya Dole
that ended in the Army occupation of Boko Haram was conducted. What
exactly happened? The stories being bandied around in the media are full
of “dem say, dem say” reports revealed by faceless figures, why is the
Army not giving a reliable account of what went down in Sambisa forest?
“They” said they arrested terrorists. How many of them and who were
they? There was another report of a “white” man found in Sambisa forest
but up till now, there has been no name or picture of him released. Who
is he? I acknowledge that the Army cannot release every piece of
information yet but they cannot also be merely sketchy and expect us to
accept their words as verity.
For years, it has been insinuated that
Abubakar Shekau- whose ancestry remains a mystery – lives in Sambisa.
Now that the terrorists’ Camp Zero has fallen, where are he and his
lieutenants? How many of them were arrested? What is Nigeria’s plan for
justice for them?
After Osama bin Laden had been killed,
we were at least allowed to see his abode and also learnt how he had
managed to hide from the United States’ panoptical lens for years. So,
what of Shekau’s abode and what can the items retrieved from the camp
tell us about the way he lived? No, I am not merely asking these simply
because I am a voyeur, I think the public deserves to know considering
that we have been deceived about his death at least twice. If Shekau
truly died this time, how did they verify his final death? Do they have
his DNA stored to crossmatch with whomever they killed? The Nigerian
Army has credibility issues where Boko Haram victories are concerned and
merely issuing press release is not going to fly. The Nigerian Army –
for too long, a coup-making propaganda machine – has not been
straightforward.
We were told that a Boko Haram terrorist
was arrested in Ikorodu, Lagos, and that Nigerians should watch out for
more of them trying to mingle with civilian population. Did he escape
from Sambisa Forest and somehow ended up in Lagos within 48 hours of
Camp Zero being breached? Lai Mohammed, the information minister, said
if Nigerians “see something” they should “say something.” The problem
with his vague charge is that he is more or less asking Nigerians to
chase phantoms on his behalf. How do we know who Boko Haram members are
when they have not provided identifying information that can help our
sense of vigilance? Who and what are we to look out for? We see
something every day but how are we supposed to know when to say
something?
Nigerians will also like to know what
the recapture of Sambisa Forest means going forward? Aside from the
Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, and his future plans of
despoiling the nature reserve, there should be other discussions of how
Boko Haram defeat will impact the humungous sums earmarked for militancy
and insurgency in the 2017 budget. What does the Nigerian Army’s
“effective victory” mean to the IDPs who have lost their homes and are
now being raped in almost every imaginable way by members of the present
administration?
With similar predators in high places,
will the IDPs go home or their predicament remains a money-making source
for “Ogas at the top”? These are a few of the questions that are on my
mind for now as regards the Sambisa re-occupation. I am curious to know
how they can claim to have won such a major battle, an entire terrorist
enclave pillaged, and we are required to just believe without proof even
though the same government has been lying to us for two years? They owe
us more than celebratory press releases; we need both explanations and
projections into what a post-Boko Haram Nigeria would look like.
APC plotting to bomb my plane – Wike
Chukwudi Akasike, Port Harcourt
THE Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has accused the leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State of planning to bomb him while travelling in a plane.
Wike explained that the target was for the APC in the state to get rid of him in its desperate bid to unseat the Peoples Democratic Party-led government in the state.
The governor said the opposition party in the state was not happy that he was paying workers’ salaries and pensions to pensioners despite the economic recession and the failure of some state governors to pay salaries.
Wike, who spoke on Thursday at a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt organised by the state PDP, criticised those calling for bloodshed in the state for selfish reasons and cursed that blood would continue to flow in their families.
He explained that God would continue to grant him victory no matter how hard APC leaders in the state planned to eliminate him.
“They said they will blow the plane that I will enter. You are plotting, do you know whether God will blow your own plane before that time,” the governor said, adding that the state was under constant assault by leaders of the opposition party.
Describing Rivers as a peaceful state, Wike stressed that the APC was planning to cause crisis in order to create a wrong impression.
Wednesday 12 October 2016
Why AGF shuns EFCC, sends judges’ cases to DSS
The Federal Ministry of Justice decided to forward petitions against judges bordering on alleged corrupt acts to the Department of State Services when the ministry discovered that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission failed to act on previous petitions as expected, The PUNCH learnt on Wednesday.
It was gathered that some human rights groups forwarded petitions to the Federal Ministry of Justice when the anti-graft agency failed to investigate and prosecute the judges.
Investigations also showed that the relationship between the EFCC and the Ministry of Justice had been frosty.
It was gathered that the problem between the agencies was caused by the inability of the anti-graft agency to speedily investigate some of the cases forwarded to it by the ministry.
The government source, who confided in The PUNCH, cited a petition on the withdrawal of over N11bn from the Rivers State Government’s account between October, 2015, and February, 2016.
According to an exclusive report by The PUNCH on June 24, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, had, in March, 2016, directed the EFCC to investigate the withdrawal, which the ministry described as suspicious.
“From all indications, because of the EFCC’s seeming inaction on some of these cases, the ministry of justice has now resorted to forwarding the petitions to the DSS. Obviously the EFCC is not happy with this,” the source stated.
The relationship between the ministry and the anti-graft agency has actually not been cordial since President Muhammadu Buhari sent the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2016, to the National Assembly through the AGF earlier this year.
The EFCC definitely sees nothing good about the law, though it acknowledges that the extant Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (amended in 2012) needs to be amended again.
On the new law, the EFCC catalogued what it considered the many flaws of the new bill in a position paper, which it submitted to the National Assembly.
It pointed out in the paper, which was obtained by one of our correspondents, that among others, “it is not advisable to pass the bill into law.”
The EFCC maintained that the passage of the bill into law would be inimical to Nigeria’s standing in the next round of mutual evaluation of the nation’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism by the relevant international bodies.
It is obvious from the issues raised by the commission that it is apprehensive that the bill seeks to whittle down some its powers under the EFCC Act.The PUNCH gathered on Wednesday that the EFCC was bitter because it was already investigating some of the judges, who were arrested by the DSS on Friday and Saturday.
The DSS had, in what it called a sting operation, arrested Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro, both of the Supreme Court; the suspended Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya; Justice Kabiru Auta of the Kano State High Court and Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Others arrested were a former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike, and Muazu Pindiga of the Federal High Court, Gombe Division.
It was also learnt the rivalry between the two agencies came to a head when the EFCC allegedly opposed the takeover of the investigations of some petitions against some judges, which it had already worked on.
A top government source, who confided in The PUNCH, said the EFCC was also not favourably disposed to investigating some judges, who had assisted in the speedy trial of graft cases instituted by the commission.
The source stated, “The point of disagreement came from the investigation into the petitions. While the EFCC thought that the DSS should steer clear of the petitions because it had already worked on them, the service and the Federal Ministry of Justice insisted that the commission was slow in its investigations.
A source in the EFCC explained that if not for the rivalry, the DSS should have involved the commission in the investigation into the graft allegations against the judges.
He stated that the anti-graft commission was of the view that the DSS disrupted ongoing investigations being carried out by it into the alleged corrupt practices by some judges.
According to him, the EFCC has been carrying out discreet investigations into the activities of three judges, which were said to be jeopardised by the raids conducted by the DSS.
“It is a DSS operation. The EFCC is not involved. The raids carried out on the judges’ residents have affected our ongoing investigation into the activities of some of the judges.
“What this has done is that they have alerted those suspected judges. With what they have done, they have alerted them to be careful,” the source in the commission told The PUNCH on Wednesday.
We earlier submitted petitions against judges to EFCC –CSNAC
The Chairman of the Civil Society Network Against Corruption, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, confirmed to one of our correspondents that his petitions against some of the judges were earlier sent to the EFCC.
“We sent the petitions to the EFCC and in fact, the anti-graft agency commenced investigation.
“They found evidence against one or two of the judges, but it was obvious that they could not proceed against the suspected judges,” he said without explanations.
It was gathered that the group as well as Human and Environmental Development Agenda Resource Centre had initially sent some of the petitions against the judges to the NJC and the EFCC.
DSS free to carry out its operations, say Police
On the role of the police in the raids, the Force Public Relations Officer, Donald Awunah, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said though the police and the DSS engaged in inter-agency collaboration, the arrest of the judges was not a joint operation.
Awunah said the DSS had the right to carry out its operations without involving the police.
“You cannot say the non-involvement of the police in the operation by the DSS amounted to lack of confidence in the Force. We engaged in inter-service collaboration from time to time, but the DSS is free to carry out its own operation alone without involving us,” he stated.
Corruption is threatening our internal security –Sagay
When The PUNCH contacted the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), he faulted the argument that the DSS acted outside its statutory mandate by arresting some judges when its operatives raided their houses.
He described the argument canvassed against the DSS operation as puerile.
According to Sagay, the allegations of bribe-taking, levelled against some judges, especially when they have to do with election cases, can cause a breach of security which falls within the mandate of the DSS.
He said, “That is a very puerile interpretation of the mandate of the DSS. The DSS is established to maintain internal security through intelligence operations.
“I think it’s got to a stage where judicial corruption was beginning to threaten internal security in the sense that if you look at the case of elections, for example, taking bribes and declaring somebody, who lost an election or who did not win an election, as the winner, particularly, those who first bribed the Independent National Electoral Commission, then engaged in killing people and destroying properties in order to get there.
“If such people’s elections are upheld, that threatens internal security because the other party, knowing that the party that was declared winner did not win the election or that there was no election, and that the party got there by a combination of bloody combat and bribery of the judiciary, will also tend to resort to force of arms and then you can have a disintegration of the society.
“So when bribery gets out of hand and the consequences are becoming devastating, it can create conflict within the society and that, in my view, can result in a breach of security.”
DSS has no business with corruption matters –Ozekhome
But Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) said the DSS had no business with corruption matters.
Ozekhome stated, “Emphasise it to them (the Federal Government) that provisions of Sections 10, 11, 12, 13, 186, 187 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act which some have incredibly argued presumably allow unarmed and non-resistant citizens’ homes to be broken into to be searched at any time of the day or night, including weekend and public holidays, constitute a violent violation of sections 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the 1999 constitution and are accordingly null and void by virtue of sections 1 (1) and 1 (3) of the same constitution.
According to him, search warrants validly issued by a court of competent jurisdiction are only executed between 6am and 6pm.
He added, “Under our laws, the DSS is concerned with matters of internal security. It has no business whatsoever with corruption matters, which are the exclusive preserve of the EFCC, the ICPC and the police.”
Also, Chief Edward Ashiekaa (SAN), said from the enabling Act creating DSS, it did not have the power to prosecute.
“Some people keep making references to FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) of the United States, but the FBI only investigates and hands over to the Department of Justice for prosecution,” he said.
Efforts to get the reaction of the DSS did not succeed as it had yet to get a spokesman.
CSNAC’s petitions received our attention based on merit –EFCC
The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said while he did not know the particular judges referred to by the CSNAC, petitions received from the group on several sectors were duly treated.
He said, “I don’t know some of the judges under reference. But suffice it to say that the commission has over the years received petitions from CSNAC covering several sectors and issues.
“All received attention based on merit as every petition to the commission do.”
Alleged Corruption: DSS to arraign seven judges next week
Meanwhile, the DSS will next week arraign seven judges it arrested across the country on Friday and Saturday last week.
A top DSS source, who confided in The PUNCH, explained that the service was almost through with the investigations into the allegations against the judges, adding that it was waiting for the National Judicial Council to take actions against them.
He stated, “The ongoing investigation is not supposed to go beyond this week. We have written to the NJC about what has happened and we expect the NJC to take some decisions about the affected judges this week.
“Once that is done, hopefully by next week or thereabouts, we should arraign them in court. For now, more facts in the form of petitions are trickling in about the judges.”
He further stated that it was its statutory responsibility to investigate painstakingly every complaint against the judges, adding that some victims had even indicated their readiness to testify in court.
The source also said that as part of the investigations, it had gone through the asset declaration forms the judges submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
“We discovered a judge filling three different forms with different information either in terms of assets declared or even personal information like age. Imagine one judge filling three different forms with different information just to deceive. Just as I said, we will do a thorough job.’’
The PUNCH also learnt on Wednesday that the DSS seized the telephones of the seven judges under investigation for corruption.
A security source, who spoke with one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity, said the call logs of the affected judges were being analysed.
A top security source said the telephones of the judges were being analysed to know whether they had what was described as “illicit communication” with politicians.
The source said, “We have seized their telephones and we have started analysing everything.
“Apart from that, we are checking their call logs and also checking the calls that had been coming in since Saturday.”
It was also gathered that the DSS had asked all the affected judges to be reporting at its headquarters, otherwise known as ‘Yellow House’ every day.
Protesters storm Federal High Court, demand judges’ prosecution
A group of protesters, under the aegis of Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Coalition, stormed the premises of the Federal High Court on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, on Wednesday, demanding the prosecution of the seven judges arrested over the weekend for alleged corruption.
Speaking through their leader, Desmond Abiona, the protesters expressed their solidarity with the DSS for arresting the judges and condemned those who termed the DSS action as an attack on the judiciary.
Abiona alleged that the arrested judges had already sponsored a group of protesters to march against the DSS and launch cyberspace war, calling on the public to watch out for them.
He stated that the DSS had exposed the endemic rot in the judiciary, which had eroded the gains of Nigeria’s democracy.
Abiona said he and his colleagues were disappointed that members of the public, who were victims of corruption, were still being fooled to believe that the action of the DSS was an attack on the judiciary.
He said, “We are sad to discover that the democracy we thought we had for almost two decades was a farce – the judiciary that is a crucial arm of government, that should be the last recourse of the common man is a bigger problem than what we had hoped it would solve for us.”
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