ATIKULOOTERS ! FRAUDSTERS !! How Atiku entered US as ‘aide’ to Saraki

The United States Bureau of African Affairs (AF) has disclosed that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was listed as an aide of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

In a tweet by Lauretta Onochie, a media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Bureau of African Affairs which is part of the US Department of State and which is charged with advising the Secretary of State on matters of Sub-Saharan Africa said he was in Washington DC on diplomatic arrangements.

“We cannot apprehend Atiku because of our diplomatic ties with Nigeria, he’s being booked as an ‘aide’ to Nigeria’s Senate President,” AF said.

It would be recalled that Atiku who for 12 years was unable to enter the US following corruption indictment against him, arrived Washington on Thursday in company of Nigeria’s Senate President Bukola Saraki.

He is staying at the Trump International Hotel in Washington DC and is expected to attend several meetings with Nigerians in Diaspora.

In a 2010 report titled “Keeping Foreign Corruption Out Of The United States” the United States Senate PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs chaired by Carl Levin named Atiku as one of four Politically Exposed Persons, PEP, to watch out for.

The subcommittee report narrated how Jennifer Douglas Abubakar, a US citizen and fourth wife of Atiku between 2000 to 2008 helped her husband bring over $40 million in suspect funds into the United States, including at least $1.7 million in bribe payments from Siemens AG, a German corporation, and over $38 million from little known offshore corporations, primarily LetsGo Ltd. Inc., Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Ltd., and Sima Holding Ltd.

“Over half of the suspect funds, nearly $25 million, were wire transferred by the offshore corporations into US bank accounts opened by Ms. Douglas,” the committee report read.

“For most of the time period examined, the US banks with those accounts were unaware of Ms. Douglas’ PEP status and allowed multiple large wire transfers into her accounts from the offshore corporations.

“As, over time, each of the banks began to question the wire transfers into her accounts, Ms. Douglas indicated that all of the funds came from her husband and professed little familiarity with the offshore corporations actually sending her money,” the report added.

“Bank records indicate that Ms. Douglas used most of the funds placed into her accounts to support a lavish lifestyle in the United States, paying credit card bills and household expenses in the range of $10,000 to $90,000 per month, including substantial legal and accounting bills.

“She also transferred funds to accounts she opened for the Gede Foundation, a nonprofit corporation she established in 2002, and the American University of Nigeria (AUN), a university that Mr. Abubakar founded in 2003, and whose name reflects its association with American University in the United States.”

“An additional $14 million of the suspect funds were wire transferred by two of the offshore corporations, LetsGo and the Guernsey Trust Company, to American University to pay for consulting fees related to AUN.

“American University officials told the Subcommittee that they understood the funds came from Mr. Abubakar and never inquired why the wire transfers were sent by unfamiliar offshore corporations.

“At least another $2.1 million was wire transferred by the Guernsey Trust Corporation to accounts controlled by Edward Weidenfeld, a US lawyer who provided legal services to Ms. Douglas, Mr. Abubakar, and AUN.

“Mr. Weidenfeld explained that the funds paid for the Abubakars’ legal expenses and an account set up for AUN, and that he had assumed the funds came from Mr. Abubakar.”

- PM NEWS

Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris, goes into rehabilitation

20-year-old superstar and daughter of the late pop singer, Micheal Jackson, Paris, is reportedly seeking support at a treatment facility to improve her well being.

According to PEOPLE’s magazine, She decided that she needed to take some time off to reboot, realign and prioritize her physical and emotional health. She checked herself into a treatment facility to aid in her wellness plan.

Paris had previously opened up about her battle with depression and says it stemmed from hanging out with a lot of older people doing a lot of crazy things.

She explained: “I was doing a lot of things that 13-, 14-, 15-year-olds shouldn’t do. I tried to grow up too fast, and I wasn’t really that nice of a person.

”I was crazy. I was actually crazy. I was going through a lot of, like teen, angst. And I was also dealing with my depression and my anxiety without any help.”

Paris previously took to Instagram to plead with her critics to give her a break.

The young superstar said:

“I guess this is for the people that don’t agree with who I am and don’t agree with my morals and spend their time trying to hurt me. I like to think that I’m on a pretty good track, as someone that is literally still a teenager … I get it, Y’all don’t like the tattoos, Y’all don’t like profanity,

”Y’all don’t like my free spirit, my outspokenness. I’m a young chick and I should be quiet, I get it. I am a teenager. I am doing the best I can, I’m working as hard as I possibly can to make a living for myself and create my own life. I’m fighting for human rights, I’m fighting for animal rights, I’m fighting for the environment. Basically, any liberalist movement that will create positive impact on this planet, I’m trying to get involved in.”

- DAILY POST

MORE CHURCHES AND MOSQUES ! MORE CRIME !! Church elder in police net for allegedly defiling 10-year-old girl

A tricycle operator in Akwa Ibom state, Edet Sunday Edem is cooling his heels in police custody after he was apprehended by youths for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl in Use Offot, Uyo local government area of the State.

The suspect who hails from Oku Iboku in Itu local government area of Akwa Ibom State allegedly committed the crime in his rented apartment in Use Offot, Uyo metropolis and took the girl to Use Offot market square, and abandoned her while the girl was bleeding profusely.

The girl whose name is withheld was noticed by passersby and was rushed to St Luke’s hospital, Anua for medical attention.

It was garhered that one Miriam Daniels who is a member of a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Journalists Alliance against Gender Based Violence who took the girl to the hospital said she noticed that the girl was lying helplessly in the market square.

According to Daniels, ” I was moved by the little girl’s pitiable state of health, I insisted that I should be taken to the suspect’s residence. When I arrived at the place, I was confronted with a pool of blood in the suspect’s apartment and blood stains were noticed in the premises.

“The suspect’s door was locked and there was no indication that he was within the neighbourhood.’’

However, it was learnt that the news of the incident had spread like wildfire, prompting youths in the community to launch a manhunt for the culprit who found him in his hometown in Oku Iboku where he had gone to hide in his pastor’s house.

Speaking in an interview, Fabian Ikpe the youth leader of Use Offot said the community was worried about such a heinous crime and had to search for the suspect, adding that when he was found, he wanted to know whether he would be allowed to go scot-free.

“We told him that he should cooperate with us but we took him to the police station,’’ he said.

Giving his statement at the Ewet Police station, the suspect who confessed to the crime said that apart from being a tricycle operator, he is a senior official of a church where he is serving as an elder, adding that he dropped out of primary school.

“Yes I slept with her but when I noticed that she was bleeding, I erased the blood from the floor,’’ he said.

It was further gathered that the wife of Governor Udom Emmanuel, Martha Udom Emmanuel has waded into the matter with a view to giving the girl special medical treatment.

The senior police officer who took the statement from the suspect said he would be taken to court at the conclusion of investigation.

Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr.Glory Edet said at least, seven persons have been convicted of rape and defilement in the state so far.

- DAILY POST

19-year-old man arrested with stolen ladies’ pants in Anambra

A 19-year old man, Chinonye Okorie has been arrested in Onitsha with ladies’ underwear, suspected to have been stolen for purposes of rituals.

The suspect, who hails from Mbaitolu, Imo State, was arrested by police officers at Odoakpu area of Onitsha in Anambra State.

Parading the suspect on Thursday at the police headquarters in Amawbia, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, said the suspect stole the pants for ritual purposes.

Haruna said, “At about 6:48am, Police detectives attached to Central Police Station (CPS) Onitsha arrested one Chinonye Okorie ‘m’ aged 19 years of Ogbaku in Mbaitolu LGA of Imo State.

“The suspect allegedly stole a female pant washed and spread on a rope at No. 21 Umuna Street Odoakpu, Onitsha in Anambra State.

“He intended to sell the pant to yet to be identified persons at the rate of #80,000 for alleged ritual purpose.”

Mohammed added that the pant was recovered from the suspect as exhibit, assuring that efforts were on to apprehend other fleeing accomplices.

“The Command implores the general public to be vigilant and report to the nearest Police Station any suspicious person or persons roaming around their vicinity for prompt action in order to avert this new trend of crime in the Society,” he added.

DAILY POST

Badeh, 'ALOOTER FATHR' to be buried, Jan. 23 – Military

The late Ex-Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), retired Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh will be buried on Jan. 23 at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.

According to a statement by Brig.-Gen John Agim, the Acting Director Defence Information, DDI, the remains of late CDS will be committed to mother earth at 12.30 p. m. after a Church Service.

Agim said the service will take place at the Nigerian Airforce Base, Protestant Church, Bill Clinton Drive Airport Road at 10 a. m.

He added that there would also be a service of song on Sunday by 5 p.m. at the Air Force Base, Protestant Church, Bill Clinton Drive.

Badeh, who served as CDS under ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, was shot dead on December 18, 2018 by unknown gunmen, on Keffi-Abuja highway, while returning from his farm.

- PM NEWS

Electricity agency disconnects 1,205 premises built under power lines

Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), says its directive to distribution companies on buildings under Right -Of -Ways (ROW) of power lines has resulted in disconnection of 1,205 premises between October 2017 and December 2018.

NEMSA’s Managing Director, Mr Peter Ewesor said this in a document made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.

NAN reports that given NEMSA’s mandate, no electrical networks, installation along the power value chain, other places in Nigeria can be put in place and into use without first being inspected, tested and certified fit for use.

In the same vein, no electrical installation contractor or technician is permitted to carry out electrical work in Nigeria unless he has been dully certified by NEMSA and issued a competency certificate.

Ewesor said DisCos had been directed to note that they would be liable should electrical issues occur in premises which are under or within ROW of power lines that the DisCos are supplying electricity to.

According to him, DisCos that are not complying with the directives are to be sanctioned.

Ewesor listed the number of disconnections of premises built under ROW of power lines to include: Abuja 0, Benin 74, Eko 0,Enugu 0,Ibadan 607,Ikeja,100,Jos 99,Kaduna 11,Kano 2, PortHarcourt 352, while Yola had 0 respectively.

On inspection and certification of new electrical and power supply projects within the period, he said the agency inspected and tested 2,960, with 1,994 certified for use while 695 were uncertified.

He said 899 existing networks and power systems were also monitored and evaluated, adding that 313 of the networks were resolved for use while 586 were unresolved.

The managing director said impact of the inspection and certification was resulting in improve network stability, reliability safety of lives and property and had minimised usage of substandard materials on the network.

He said affected DisCos were compelled to restore the bad networks to the required standard and specification,adding that the inspection had also resulted in the reduction of technical losses within the networks.

On testing of meters before installation by DisCos, Ewesor said the agency tested 67,321 meters at its national meter testing stations at Oshodi,Port-Harcourt and Kaduna noting that that 67,292 meters were approved.

He said the testing and certification of meters had ensured that meters deployed meet the Nigerian metering code version 02 and other relevant standard accuracy specifications.

He also said the measure was to ensure that customers get meters that give them value for energy they consume via proper accountability of energy produced, delivered and utilised .

Ewesor, who is also the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation also said NEMSA also inspected the facilities of 71 concrete pole manufactures within the period under review.

He said 31 was certified while 40 was uncertified, adding that the inspection was to ensure deployment of only standard electric concrete poles and ultimately ensure safety of lives and property.

The managing director said the agency had banned the indiscriminate use of 33KV primary feeder lines supplying 33/11KV injection substation for point loads, especially where 11KV supply networks exists.

Other enforcement of policy directives by NEMSA in the period under review according to Ewesor includes:Enforcement notice on the use of only 150mm2 ACSR minimum size for 33KV primary feeder lines to injection substations.

“Banning of the use of untreated wooden poles, untreated wooden and ungalvanised among other enforcement.”

- PM NEWS 

Atiku has questions to answer on collapse of Bank PHB – Lai Mohammed

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has questions to answer over slush funds that led to the collapse of former Bank PHB.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who briefed State House correspondents on Friday in Abuja, said Abubakar would offer explanations to Nigerians once he returned from his trip to the US.

Abubakar’s media aide, Mr Paul Ibeh, had on Thursday, in a statement, confirmed that Abubakar had travelled to US..

Mohammed recalled that he advised the US government against issuing visa to Abubakar.

However, he said it remains the prerogative of the US government to issue visa to anyone it deems fit.

“Let me say right away we are not perturbed one bit that Alhaji Atiku Abukakar was able to secure visa to the US; as a matter of fact, he can go ahead and get the US Green Card. That will not save him from imminent defeat in the forthcoming election.

“I want to remind Abubakar that the elections will be right here in Nigeria and not in the US.

“In any event, any time Abubakar returns home, he has questions to answer following the fresh evidence that we have that he benefitted from slush funds that led to the collapse of the former Bank PHB.

“The document we have shows that he benefitted to the tune of N156 million from that slush fund.”

Mohammed said that the paper which is in his possession started from an internal memo on Jan. 13, 2009, which reads, “please refer for discussion your requested overdraft in favour of Atiku Abubakar for N156 million and deliver same to me.

“Please note that it must be delivered today(Jan. 13). On the same date, another memo was generated to confirm—please confirm that the amount stated below be issued from Claremont Management Services account.”

He said there was clear evidence of the account mandate in the name of Atiku Abubakar.

“We also have a copy of the Cheque in which the sum of N156 million was issued to Atiku Abubakar dated Jan. 13, 2009 and of course we also have statement of account within that period that confirms that this sum was actually paid into his account,’’ he said.

According to him, there is fresh evidence as to Abubakar’s involvement in the collapse of Bank PHB, which he owes the electorate and Nigerians explanation

Abubakar recently alleged President Muhammadu Buhari’s family members co-own Etisalat Nigeria, Keystone Bank which was formerly Bank PHB.

- PM NEWS