Fraud everywhere !! Alleged N3b fraud: Court freezes Lagos number plate agency’s account

The Federal High in Lagos today froze an account belonging to the Lagos State Number Plate Production Authority over an alleged N3billion fraud.

Justice Mohammed Idris made the order based on an ex-parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

EFCC said the funds were allegedly diverted while Mr. Folorunsho Coker was the agency’s Managing Director.

The court also ordered the freezing of the accounts of a law firm, Rimi and Partners, allegedly owned by Coker’s wife Mrs. Aisha Rimi as the sole proprietor.

An EFCC investigator, Olamide Sadiq, who deposed to a supporting affidavit, said the commission got intelligence last year from Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit on the alleged fraud.

According to him, Rimi and Partners had 10 bank accounts with Guaranty Trust Bank.

“Mr. Folorunsho Coker was as at that time the Managing Director of the first respondent (Lagos State Government Number Plate Production Authority) and also the husband of Aisha Rimi, one of the signatories to the accounts of the second and third respondents – Rimi and Partners and Ekosina Investment Limited, respectively.

“Mr. Folorunsho Coker was also a signatory to the Zenith Bank account number 1011424889 of the first respondent.

“Investigations revealed that Aisha Rimi is the major partner in Rimi and Partners and she is also in control of Ekosina Investment Limited, a company seen to have received huge transfers from the Lagos State Government Number Plate Production Authority.

“From preliminary investigations by the commission, the second and third respondents were used to divert funds from the Lagos State Government Number Plate Production Authority with the influence of Folorunsho Coker, who was the Managing Director of the Lagos State Agency,” Sadiq said.

Justice Idris said the accounts, including 32 others belonging to companies that were allegedly used to divert the N3billion, would remain frozen until EFCC concludes its investigation.

The accounts of Ekosina Investment Limited, SW Properties Limited, Imira Trade and Global Services Limited, Lofty Investment Nigeria Limited, Pure Technical Services Limited and Cablepoint Limited were also frozen in connection with the alleged fraud.

EFCC said there were suspicious transactions on the account of Rimi and Partners, including heavy inflows in excess of N3billion from the Lagos State Government Number Plate Production Authority. - The Nation 

Rising import bill: Oil workers ask FG to emergency on refineries

Following the rising bill incurred on importation of petroleum products to meet domestic demand, senior Nigerian oil workers have called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on the nation’s refineries to find lasting solution.

The workers, under the umbrella body of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), in a communique issued at the end of its national executive council meeting in Warri, Delta state, at the weekend, described as worrisome and embarrassing that Nigeria remains the only OPEC member country importing fuel and the largest importer in the world.

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer with output around 2.1 million barrels per day and oil reserves estimated at 37 billion barrels.

But the country imports around 1 million metric tonnes of petrol per month as the existing four refineries, owned and managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), have not been operating up to a quarter of their combined nameplate capacity of 445,000 barrels a day.

“The [PENGASSAN] NEC-in-Session urges the Federal Government and NNPC to expedite the process of rehabilitating the refineries through the investors and financiers,” the union stated.

“The NEC-in-Session also notes the positive impact of the planned modular and other private refineries in the industry and the economy as a whole. The NEC-in-Session appeals to the Federal Government to encourage Private Sector Participation in this regard.”

The oil workers’ union said it condemned the recent directive by of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating the state of the nation’s four refineries to halt the process of their proposed turn-around maintenance (TAM) by the Government/NNPC.

“The House Committee should provide an immediate alternative to the good proposal; otherwise the process should be allowed to continue in the best interest of the country,” PENGASSAN demanded. - Cable Nigeria

Terrorism : Fulani Herdsmen chop off farmer’s toes, fingers in Abraka

Fulani herdsmen have chopped off the fingers and toes of a farmer identified as Osakwe Benard, in Abraka, Delta State, for trying to stop them from grazing their herd on his farm.

The attack came barely one week after a gang of armed herdsmen killed a farmer and shot his wife at their cassava farm in Abraka.

Osakwe Benard, 48, and a father of five, narrowly escaped death as his assailants fled the scene after his cry attracted other farmers in the area, who rescued him.

Confirming the incident yesterday, member representing the area in the state House of Assembly, Chief Evance Ivwurie, said: “Osakwe had gone to his farm when he saw the herdsmen grazing their herds on his farm.

“He started screaming for them to leave, not knowing that one of them, who held him for the others, was lurking behind him.

“They chopped off the entire toe area of his leg to the middle and the fingers of his two hands were also cut off.”

On efforts being put in place to checkmate the activities of herdsmen in the area, Ivwurie, who stated that the people had resorted to self-help in protecting themselves, said: “We have been able to locate seven different spots these herdsmen use as their bases.

“The vigilante, with assistance from the Police, is making preparations to dislodge them and there are moves by the state government to strengthen the vigilante with Okada and hilux trucks to patrol the area for the safety of our people.” - Daily Post 

US: China’s loan rates terrible for Africa

The US has criticised the rate at which China offers loans to African countries, saying the practice is not for the betterment of the continent.

NAN reports that the US department of state made this statement during a background briefing on the visit of Rex Tillerson, secretary of state, to Africa.

Tillerson is scheduled to visit the leaders of Nigeria, Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya between March 6 and 13.

“In the Africa region, we are going to have a heart-to-heart discussion with the Chinese. We’ve invited the Chinese to come to Washington to talk about their programs in Africa,” the US said in the background briefing.

“And so on the one hand, the unhelpful role is the providing low-interest but really concessionary loans which really indebts the country.

“One area that’s not to the betterment is these loan rates, which is terrible.

“A lot of countries in Southern Africa and parts of the east and west are having anywhere from 50 percent to in one case 200 percent of GDP debt.

“And 80 percent and 50 percent are probably Chinese loans, and that’s really not acceptable, and that’s an area that we really need to address and focus on.

The US said it has no intention of countering China as far as Africa is concerned but that its objective is resolving tensions and problems in the continent.

In 2005, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative together with Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) allowed for 100 percent relief on eligible debts from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the African Development Fund – for countries completing the HIPC Initiative process.

“I mean, we spent so much time getting them out of debt, and to see them go back into debt is just terrible,” the US department of state said.

“And it goes back to not only corruption in some of these states, but also the ease in which not only China – and you’re talking Russia, Iran, and other countries providing low-interest loans.

“And this is really kind of another forum of impoverishment and poverty because unlike HIPC, we can’t really kind of repay loans back to banks.”

Nigeria is a party to such agreements as China recently agreed to cover the cost of constructing two satellites without any financial contribution from the country. - Cable Nigeria

What a country !! Many missing as Fulani herdsmen strike in Benue, burn down villages

No fewer than 200 persons have been rendered homeless and several persons still missing after suspected herdsmen attacked Tse Sumaka and Tse Atorough Vishigh in Mbadwem Council Ward of Guma, Benue State.

The incident, DAILY POST gathered happened late Sunday night.

An eyewitness told our reporter that the herdsmen, armed to their teeth, invaded the villages and began to shoot sporadically and razed about 20 houses.

The incident came barely two weeks after the formal launching of the Operation Ayem Akaptuma (Cat Race) in the state.

A resident told DAILY POST that the villagers have deserted their home for fear of being killed by the gunmen.

“As we speak, I am in a bush with my family. They (attackers) burnt our house and attacked my brother with machete, I don’t even know if he is dead or alive, please inform the police,” the escapee said amid shriek voice.

However, the police could not be reached at the moment for comment as efforts to reach the Benue command’s PRO, Moses Yamu could not yield any result at the time of this report. - Daily Post

Weah to Buhari: Support Super Eagles to win World Cup

Liberian President, George Weah, on Monday urged President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians in general to give the Super Eagles all the necessary supports in other to win the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

He made the remark after closed doors meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said: “I think Nigerian team is a model, we all followed them. I have played with great Nigerian players, I played against them. Now you have a new generation, the fact that they qualified for the World Cup is a good thing for Nigeria.

“But I hope that they will prepare very early because they are going to represent Africa and we will be there to watch them, for them to bring the trophy for the first time if it is possible. But I think the seriousness to go to World Cup is not to pay players to go, I want every African government to know, if you win the World Cup, it is a pride to Africa is not just to Nigeria. So we must do everything to ensure that the players are not stressed, make sure they concentrate and make sure their incentives are given to them to motivate them.

“Some of the things you see at the World Cup, you will see an entire team go to represent a whole country and you will hear that one minister took the money, they did not pay these players and the players are causing problem. When players are going to camp is to relax and focus. And for them to be in camp they must have everything there for them not to worry.

“Remember I played in the European setting, when we go to camp we have nothing to do. The only thing we have to do is to take a shower and prepare for the game, everything is laid down here and so you have no excuse.

“So let the players not have excuse, support them and let them go and bring back that cup.”

Noting that every government in Africa complains when it comes to sports, he thanked President Buhari for supporting the Super Eagles to qualify for the World Cup in Russia. - The Nation

My husband doesn’t provide food, tells me to eat at family house – Wife tells court

A Sharia Court at Magajin gari, Kaduna, has ordered one Ahmadu Audu to pay N10, 000 to his wife as restitution over months of neglect and abandonment.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the wife, Aisha Muhammad, had dragged Audu to the court accusing him of keeping her in hunger for close to a year, a situation which forced her to move to her parent house.

“He doesn’t provide food, instead he usually ask me to go to his family house and eat,” she told the court, adding that when she could not bear the condition she left her matrimonial home and returned to her parents.

“I could no longer persevere the hunger, so I went back home,” Aisha said, adding that she had been with her parents for seven months, yet nothing has changed.

The complainant, therefore, asked the court to dissolve the marriage, if the husband cannot take care of her.

Audu, however, told the court that he still loves his wife, and blamed his condition on the harsh economic situation in the country.

The judge, Dahiru Lawal ordered Audu to pay N10, 000 to the wife as restitution for the long period he took without caring for her and ordered the couple to settle the issues between them amicably.

Lawal, however, warned the husband against neglecting his wife and to take care of her as provided by law. - Daily Post

Mike Tyson’s mansion taken over by church, Pastor says it’s a miracle

A mansion belonging to a former heavyweight boxing champion, Mike Tyson, in Ohio, USA, has been taken over by the Living Word Sanctuary Church.

The Mansion is to be converted into a church.

The building, covering 25,000 square feet, was donated to Living Word Sanctuary Church after Paul Monea, who initially bought it from the ex-boxing champion was convicted of money laundering.

Monea was imprisoned in 2007 – eight years after he bought the property from Tyson for $1.3m.

The swimming pool room had been turned into the main auditorium while the basketball court turned into a youth centre.

Speaking to the Tribune-Chronicle, church pastor Nicholas DeJacimo said, “us getting this is a miracle.

“It was basically donated to us because the former owner needed to write it off. I tell the congregation God literally gave us this.

“He literally gave us a free campus to do whatever we want. We will use it to glorify him.

“Work is continuing on the renovation. Once completed church members will move from the local YMCA where they’ve recently been meeting.” - Daily Post

Executive boko haram !!! $2.1b armsgate: Lawyer seeks prosecution of more people

President Muuhammadu Buhari has been urged to direct the expansion of the scope of the ongoing prosecution of individuals, including former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki over their alleged complicity in $2.1billion armsgate.

Dasuki and some other prominent individuals are current being tried in various court over their alleged involvement in the diversion of the $2.1b said to have been allocated by the Goodluck Jonathan administration for the purchase of arms.

A lawyer, Sahabi Sami, who made the request while speaking in Abuja, argued that Dasuki did not act alone, but that there were other key players in the disbursement of the money, who are currently walking freely.

Sami, who is the spokesman of a group, Progressive Supporters (PS), identified some individuals he felt should also be prosecuted, and said his group has written to President Buhari and key figures in government on the issue.

He said: stated, “It is our desire not only to put Your Excellency (Buhari) on notice so that your eyes will see beyond the veil cast by some individuals that are vindictive to your programmes within the government, but we are also fully prepared to provide details of those individuals.”

Sami said his group’s letter was copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN); and National Security Adviser (NSA), Ali Monguno and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen;

Also copied, he added, are the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa; Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello; Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu; Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura; and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun.- The Nation