EFCC launches fresh probe against Saraki

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched a fresh probe against Senate President Bukola Saraki over allegations of money laundering.

According to THISDAY, the anti-graft agency is investigating Saraki’s earnings during his time as governor of Kwara state.

Saraki governed the state between 2003 and 2011 before proceeding to the senate.

In a letter quoted by THISDAY, the EFCC said it is investigating Saraki over “an alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds, theft, and money laundering” involving him.

The letter said to have been addressed to the permanent secretary, Kwara government house and dated April 26, directed the state government to release details of all of Saraki’ salaries, allowances, estacode and payments received as governor.

The letter signed by Isyaku Sharu, EFCC zonal head, reads: “In view of the above, you are kindly requested to furnish us with the full details of all his entitlements to include but not limited to emoluments, allowances, estacodes, other fringe benefits and severance package while he held sway as the Executive Governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.

“This request is made pursuant to Section 38 (1) & (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.”

.The probe comes less than a year after the supreme court cleared Saraki of allegations of false assets declaration instituted against him by the federal government

The EFCC had testified against Saraki during the trial.

- THE CABLE

Nigerian Army bans ‘Okada’ in 7 states

The Nigerian Army on Sunday announced ban on the use of motorcycles in the North West region.

It said the ban under exercise HARBIN KUNAMA which seeks to wipe out banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the zone, affects Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kastina, Sokoto, Zamfara and Niger states.

The Army said it would not tolerate the use of motorcycles within the hinterland, particularly around the forests where the armed bandits and kidnappers hibernate.

It called on the government of the affected states to enforce the order in their respective states in conjunction with the security agencies.

Acting spokesman, Colonel Sagir Musa, in a statement said: “The Nigerian Army over time has observed the use of motorcycles by armed bandits, kidnappers, criminal elements and their collaborators as enablers to perpetrate their heinous crimes especially in the states within the north-west geopolitical zone of the country.

“This informed the decision and directive to ban the use of motorcycles within the hinterland particularly around the forests where the armed bandits, criminals and kidnappers hibernate and all around where troops are conducting operations alongside other security agencies.

“While this may cause some inconveniences to some law-abiding citizens in the area, the need to use all means possible to stop the dastardly activities of these bandits across the North West part of Nigeria needs no emphasis.

“The general public, particularly in the North West and some parts of North Central in Nigeria where Exercise HARBIN KUNAMA is ongoing are enjoined to bear with the NA as concerted efforts are being made to combat the insecurity menace ongoing within the area.”

- DAILY POST

See the popcorn seller who built his own plane

The engine is from a roadcutter, the wings are burlap, the wheels are borrowed from a rickshaw: a popcorn seller has caught the attention of the Pakistan Air Force by building his own plane.

The tale of Muhammad Fayyaz has captured the hearts of many in a nation where millions, just like him, have limited access to education and are fighting for opportunities.

"I was literally in the air. I couldn't feel anything else," Fayyaz said of his first flight in a machine he learned to build mainly from viewing TV clips and online blueprints.

Pakistan has been thrilled before by stories of scientific prodigies plucked from obscurity before -- notably, that of the engineer who said in 2012 that he had invented a car that could run on water -- a story that was later debunked by scientists.

But Fayyaz insists he flew and his claim is being taken seriously by the air force, whose representatives have now visited him multiple times, even issuing a certificate to commend his work, he revealed.

There has been a steady stream of visitors wanting to view his creation, which now sits in the empty courtyard of his three-room home in the village of Tabur in central Punjab province.

Dreaming of a jet plane 

The 32-year-old said he had dreamed of joining the air force as a child, but his father died while he was in still in school, forcing him to drop out at the eighth grade and do odd jobs to feed his mother and his five younger siblings.

As an adult, his passion for flying remained undiminished, so he took a wild gamble on a new dream and put everything he had into creating his own craft.

By day he worked as a popcorn seller, by night as a security guard, saving every rupee he could.

The first thing he had to acquire was information -- beginning with watching episodes of the National Geographic Channel's Air Crash Investigation for insight into thrust, air pressure, torque, propulsion.

Cheap internet access in a nearby city helped fill the gaps, with Fayyaz claiming he spliced blueprints of planes he found online for his own creation.

He sold a piece of family land, and took out a 50,000 rupee ($350) loan from a micro-finance NGO, which he is still paying off.

He used his meagre funds creatively, buying burlap sacks wholesale and persuading a kind workshop employee who had seen him scouting for materials to build him a propeller.

There was trial and error. Some equipment needed to be replaced, designs had to be altered, the wiring had to be reworked.

His family worried he was obsessed.

"I kept telling him to stop. I kept telling him to concentrate on his family and work, he was being crazy over nothing. But he didn't listen to a single word," his mother, Mumtaz Bibi, recalled.

But Fayyaz kept going. And, at the end of it all produced a plane -- tiny, fragile, and painted a bright blue.

 'Locked up with criminals' 

In February this year, he said, after more than two years of ridicule, he was ready.

Fayyaz claims his friends helped him to block a small road which he used as a runway for that first flight attempt in February.

The plane reached 120kph before taking off, Ameer Hussain, a witness who claims to have ridden alongside the plane in a motorcycle, told AFP.

"It was between two and two and half feet off the ground," he said. "It flew for about two to three kilometres before landing."

AFP has been unable to verify the claim.

But the attempt made Fayyaz bold enough to want to try again in front of the rest of his village, many of whom had mocked his efforts.

He picked March 23, Pakistan Day, for the unveiling. Police said hundreds of people crowded around his tiny plane, many clutching national flags.

But before Fayyaz could even start the engine, the police arrived and arrested him, confiscating his plane.

"I felt as though I had committed one of the worst acts in the world, as though I am the worst person in Pakistan," he explained, adding: "I had been locked up with criminals."

The court released him with a 3,000 rupees ($19) fine.

When AFP visited the local police station, officers said they had arrested Fayyaz as his plane was a safety threat.

Officer Zafar Iqbal explained: "The plane was returned to him as a goodwill gesture. Should he obtain a flying license or permit, he is free to fly."

Fayyaz's misfortune resulted in social media fame, and he was called a "hero" and an "inspiration" by some netizens.

Representatives from the Pakistan Air Force have made two visits to view the plane and the commander of a nearby base issued him a certificate which praises his "passion and dexterity" in building what it described as a "mini basic airplane".

- AFP

Labour MPs say they won't back a Brexit deal without a people’s vote

Jeremy Corbyn will not be able to get enough of his MPs to back a Brexit deal without the promise of a second referendum, even if Theresa May makes a big offer on a customs union and workers’ rights this week, senior Labour figures believe.

Senior party sources said they believe two-thirds of Labour MPs, including several shadow cabinet ministers and many more frontbenchers, would refuse to back a deal without a people’s vote attached.

Theresa May is preparing to make new proposals of a temporary customs union until the next election, matching EU employment rights in the future and alignment of single market regulations on goods.

The prime minister wrote an article in the Mail on Sunday urging Labour to “put our differences aside for a moment” to do a deal when negotiators meet on Tuesday, while Corbyn said after the local election results that voters wanted MPs to “get a deal done” on Brexit.

John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, had said on Friday that the election results meant voters were saying “sort it” on Brexit but he sounded a more cautious note about the prospect of a deal on Sunday, telling the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that he had no trust in May and accusing her of negotiating in “bad faith”.

He said any customs union would need to be permanent and warned No 10 that “to get any deal over the line you’ve got to recognise there will be a large number of MPs in parliament who actually do support a public vote”.

Labour is incensed that details of May’s intended offer were leaked to Sunday newspapers when they had kept their side of a bargain to keep the talks confidential. Asked whether he trusted the prime minister over the talks, McDonnell said: “No, sorry, not after this weekend when she’s blown the confidentiality I had and I actually think she’s jeopardised the negotiations for her own personal protection.”

McDonnell also raised the issue of May’s weak position as leader and the threat of hard Brexiters vying to take over from her, likening the cross-party talks to “trying to enter a contract with a company going into administration and the people who are going to take over are not willing to fulfil that contract”.

The shadow chancellor made clear that Labour would need changes to the withdrawal agreement and political declaration negotiated with the EU to make sure future Tory leaders could not tear up the agreement after Brexit.

More than 100 opposition MPs, including 66 from Labour, said at the weekend they would not tolerate a “Westminster stitch-up” on a Brexit deal without a second referendum.

But a number of MPs close to the People’s Vote campaign believe there are actually more like 150 to 180 Labour MPs out of 229 who will refuse to back a deal struck with May unless there is a confirmatory vote.

One shadow cabinet minister said: “Jeremy cannot be sure he has the numbers – even if he whipped it – so he cannot do a deal without a confirmatory vote.”

Several MPs talked of more colleagues quitting the party, frontbench walkouts and a “catastrophic split” if the leadership were to pursue a policy of a deal without another referendum.

May is opposed to offering a second referendum but parliament could decide to back one if the talks collapse and the government proceeds with a plan for binding votes on what MPs would prefer as an outcome. In that scenario, there could be a binary referendum on May’s Brexit deal or some kind of three-way poll on Brexit with the options of a deal, no deal or remaining in the EU.

Although striking any deal with May would be controversial within Labour, some within the party, such as party chair Ian Lavery and MPs Lucy Powell and Stephen Kinnock, have been arguing that the referendum result needs to be respected. There is also an argument being made that it could be the best way of drawing a line under Brexit and moving on to talk about other pressing national issues such as schools and hospitals.

Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, is sticking to his promise to keep the negotiations confidential but a number of MPs said they had been reassured personally that he would not sign up to any deal without a public vote.

Even some of those who had been considering backing any cross-party deal were spooked by May’s Mail on Sunday article that tries to sell a temporary customs union until 2022 on the grounds that whoever wins a general election can set the future direction. They fear this could amount to signing up to a “blind Brexit” in which hard Brexiter successors to May such as Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab could set the terms of the future relationship.

Tom Watson, the party’s deputy leader who has been pushing for an unequivocal second referendum policy, told the BBC Radio 5 Live’s Pienaar’s Politics that “the Labour party membership and vast numbers of my colleagues in parliament don’t want us to just sign off on a Tory Brexit”. He said a deal would only be done if Starmer, who backs a second referendum, approved it.

Meanwhile, May is facing the prospect of a Tory revolt and losing votes for her deal if she makes any promise of a permanent customs union, with at least 100 of her MPs unwilling to vote for such a compromise.Two senior Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, and Rory Stewart, the international development secretary, both offered a view that the major parties needed to find a compromise. Stewart even suggested a split in the Tory party could be a price worth paying to get a Brexit deal done, telling Pienaar’s Politics: “Yes, there will be short-term pain.”He also urged the prime minister to find a binding solution on a customs union with Labour, claiming: “We need investors to feel this will be there for 30 years not just for four years and a cross-party deal is a way to do with.”

However, the idea of a binding customs union incensed Conservative Brexiters, who are ramping up their efforts to oust May in the wake of the dire local election results for the party.

Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 Committee of backbenchers, warned May in the Telegraph that she must not cave on the issue of the customs union.

“The temptation for the government now to do whatever is necessary to secure some kind of Brexit agreement is obvious but it must be resisted,” he said.

“To reach an agreement with Labour that locked the United Kingdom into the customs union might pull in enough Labour votes to allow an agreement to limp over the line but the price could be a catastrophic split in the Conservative party and at a time when the opposition is led by dangerous extremists, the consequences for our country would be unthinkable.”

Brady is expected to lead a delegation of the 1922 to see May on Tuesday asking her to set out a timetable for her departure or face serious attempts to remove her.- THE GUARDIAN, UK

Islamic State: We burnt military barracks and killed 10 soldiers in Borno

The Islamic State (IS) says it killed 10 soldiers in an attack in Magumeri, a community in Borno state, on Friday.

The group made the claim through AMAQ, its news agency.

According to Reuters, IS uploaded images of barracks that were burnt and the remains of the dead soldiers.

A source in the Nigerian army was said to have confirmed the attack which was reported to have happened around 5:45pm.

The fighters reportedly overpowered the military base in the town, raided shops and fled after the army called for reinforcement and air force support from the neighbouring Gubio town.

Worried by the collaboration between Islamic State and Boko Haram, in February, Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, vowed that the Nigerian military would break the unholy alliance between the grous.

“I am glad to note that we are making strides against the Islamic State West Africa or ISWA in our bid to unhinge the unholy union between them and remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists,” Buratai had said.

Boko Haram joined IS in 2015. It, however, split with the group in 2016 over leadership issues.

In March, the IS sacked Abu Mus’ab Al-barnawi as the leader of ISWAP, a faction of Boko Haram.

Ahmad Salkida, a journalist known to have access to the leadership of Boko Haram, said the new leader of the group was Abu Abdullah Ibn Umar Albarnawi.

- THE CABLE

Ondo man commits suicide after beating own mother to death

It was a double-tragedy in Ikare-Akoko in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State as a middle-aged man took his own life after allegedly beating his mother to death.

The incident struck the Ayotunde’s family in Oyinmo Quarters area of the community, where the two deceased hailed from and are yet to come to terms with sad development.

It was gathered that following a heated argument, which led to fisticuffs between the son identified as Gbenga and his mother known as Ajimo but popularly called Mama Gbenga among her neighbours in her abode in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Gbenga allegedly hit his mother which resulted in her death on Thursday.

After dawning on him that he had killed his 57-year-old mother, Gbenga was said to have fled Akure where he committed the crime to their family house in Ikare-Akoko where he subsequently committed suicide on Friday.

According to a family source, the deceased mother of five had three children with Gbenga’s father in Ikare before remarrying in Akure where she was living before the incident occurred.

“After killing his mother in Akure on Thursday during the fight, Gbenga escaped to Ikare-Akoko.

“He stayed at the family house with his grandmother at Oyinmo Quarters.

“It seems that after he realized that the police are set to fish him out from his hideout, he sneaked into the kitchen at about 3am on Friday to hang himself while everybody in the house was asleep.

“It was one of his family members, who wanted to go use the restroom in the morning that raised the alarm after seeing his lifeless body dangling from the ceiling plank.”

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Femi Joseph, stated that the police had already begun investigation into the matter.

- DAILY POST

Solskjaer reveals those to blame for United’s top four failure, says Europa League right place for Man U

Manchester United boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said the club got what they deserved after they were consigned to the Europa League.

Solskjaer admitted that they have themselves to blame.

United drew 1-1 with relegated Huddersfield on Sunday, which saw them miss out on a top-four place and the Champions League next season.

It is the third time in six years United have failed to make the Champions League after-Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure as the club’s manager.

“We gave ourselves a chance to be in the Champions League, had so many opportunities to be third or fourth, but weren’t able to do it,” Solskjaer told Sky Sports.

“Maybe it’s the right place to be for us, the Europa League next year.

“If City don’t win FA Cup we’ll have an early and bright start for EL qualifiers and that’ll make it more diff.

“We’ve been inconsistent throughout this season, good periods and very bad periods, and it’s just caught up with us. It’s a fair reflection, being sixth.

“It’s been a tired team towards the end of the season. When you get bad results you lose energy and start worrying and that’s caught up with us.

“It’s not what we want, but then again you can use the Europa League as something positive, as Chelsea and Arsenal have done and as we did a couple of years ago.”

Alexis Sanchez went off injured in the second-half and Solskjaer was asked if that was the £500,000-a-week forward’s last appearance in a United shirt.

“I can’t talk about individuals now, but there’s a chance you’ve seen the last of players, always a chance, but wouldn’t say that about any individual,” said Solskjaer.

“Today wasn’t one individual that was disappointing, it was the whole team.”

Scott McTominay put United ahead after eight minutes, but a mistake by Luke Shaw allowed Isaac Mbenza to equalise, with Solskjaer’s side unable to find a winner.

Former United defender Gary Neville was scathing in his assessment of his old club and said: “This is Huddersfield Town who have struggled all season.

“Watching this Huddersfield team, they haven’t got the quality, but I like watching them a lot more than watching the ones in the red shirts, to be honest with you.

“At least you can identify with them. Nothing about this United team I like at all. They’re just awful.

“They’re a despondent group of people. Solskjaer is smiling at them they’re that bad.

“United’s away support will never stop singing, but this group of players have drained the energy out of them.”

Solskjaer added: “We haven’t taken enough points, won enough games, scored enough goals and it’s always difficult when you lose your manager halfway through the season.

“It shows us where we are. we’re not living in fantasy land thinking we can catch the top two, we’re far away, but we shouldn’t be speaking about being far off the top four at Manchester United.

“We’re many levels [behind] at the moment, that’s the size of the challenge, it’s a great challenge for us but I’m sure we’ll make it.”

- DAILY POST

EFCC Arrests 13 Internet Fraudsters In Edo

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Benin Zonal Office on Saturday, May 4, 2019 arrested 13 suspected internet fraudsters during an early morning raid at Uromi, Edo State.

The suspects, who are between the ages of 20 to 35 were smoked out from their hideout in a hotel at Uromi.

Upon their arrest, 23 phones and three laptops were recovered from them. Three luxury cars, Lexus R330, C300 4Matic and GLK 350 4Matic were also recovered from them.

The raid which was a sequel to series of intelligence gathering by operatives of the zone is in line with the directive of the acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu to rid the state and indeed the entire country of internet fraud and cybercrime.

The suspects have made useful statements and will soon be charged to court.

- PM NEWS

Paying tithe is idolatry, harlotry, worship of demons – Daddy Freeze

Critics and founder of Free Nation movement, Daddy Freeze cannot cease from controversy. Even though he has often moved against the paying of tithes, this time around, he said paying tithe is idolatry, harlotry and the worship of demons.

Freeze, on his Instagram page was reacting to a video in which a comedian, Akpororo was changing the amount of fee to be paid for his show to free, in order to attract crowd.

According to Freeze, the same comedian insulted him and called him a wall gecko at the House of the Rock experience last December.

“Has his tithe stopped working for him or did he miss paying his tithe for a month? Although he cursed me and said hurtful things about me, I have forgiven him and have nothing but love for him and wish he stopped paying or advertising this idolatrous tithe and worshiped God for who he really is in spirit and truth (John 4:24),” he said.

Freeze added: “paying tithe is idolatry and harlotry, it’s the worship of demons, the veneration of Mammon and the hero-worship of Satan who according to 2nd Corinthians 4:4, is the God of this world.

“Christ our high priest never collected tithes and neither did the disciples, who were our first bishops and GOs.”

Freeze challenged Christian scholars and pastors to show him a bible verse where any Christian paid tithe.

“I hereby challenge Christian scholars and pastors to kindly show a bible verse where any Christian paid tithe… It must be in the Bible now, abi? I hereby demand that they provide it or shut up.”

- PM NEWS

MEANINGLESS !! Buhari: I won’t disclose people who will make my new Cabinet

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has said he will not disclose those who will be part of his cabinet in his second term to anyone yet.

Fielding questions from newsmen, upon his arrival from London where he had spent 10 days on a private visit, Buhari refused to dabble into the issue of cabinet list.

When asked what kind of people would make his next cabinet, the President replied: “I won’t tell you”.

He, however, expressed readiness to settle down and swear in the new cabinet.

Regarding the security challenges across the nation, the President said: “I have just seen the IG, I think he’s losing weight, so I think he is working very hard”.

Channels TV reports that Buhari returned back to the country on Sunday after a 10-day private visit to the United Kingdom.

He had departed Nigeria on the 25th of April after an official one day visit to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital where he commissioned some projects.

On Sunday, the presidential jet touched down at about 6.20 pm at the presidential wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport in Abuja.

Present to welcome the President at the airport were members of the presidency, security chiefs and other members of the cabinet.

Notable amongst those present was Abba Kyari, his chief of staff; Muhammed Bello, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT); Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff; Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

- PM NEWS 

I made N3.6m profit from selling hard drugs – Suspect

Operatives of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS) have arrested two suspected hard drugs peddlers in the Alausa community of Ikeja, Lagos.

The suspects, Olukoya Ayodele (26) and Victor Godwin (30), were arrested following an intelligence gathering by officers of the Decoy team of the RRS, who were mandated to uncover illicit drugs being distributed in the area.

The suspects in their confessional statement told the police that they buy and hawk different types of had drugs such as, Indian Hemp, Skunk, Tramadol, Refnol, Diazal and other assorted hard drugs to factory workers in the area.

Ayodele, an acclaimed graduate of Information Management and a notorious member of the Black Axe Confraternity (Aye) was arrested with all sorts of charms which he claimed he used in protecting himself from the harm of other rival cult members back then in his days as a student.

The suspect narrated that “I armed myself with all these assorted charms to protect me from getting killed by other rival cult groups. I got the ‘account’ of charm making from my father who is a herbalist. It makes it easy for me to prepare various charms for myself and friends.

“I came to Lagos after I graduated in 2015 in search for greener pastures to come and work as a factory worker but the work was too stressful for me. I later began to work as a motor boy in the same area and added drug peddling to it to augment the low-income from the motor boy hustle.

“I make over N3.6m annually from the sale of hard drugs and have been in the business for three years now. The charms also helped me to transact my business and prevented me from getting caught by security operatives as the charm shielded me from various arrests that had been carried out in the area even when I was a bad boy.”

In his own account, Victor, a boutique owner in the area, was caught with hard drugs which he claimed he used in supplementing his income from the boutique business.

Victor claimed he had been in the business for some time now and that he had been using the proceeds from the illicit business to pay his rents and that he was planning to get married soon, which he believed his boutique income could not take care of.

“I sell hard drugs to factory workers in the area. They use it to work because their work is energy-consuming and requires agility. I sell one capsule of tramadol for N300 while Indian hemp and skunk goes for N100 respectively. Drug business is a lucrative one because it helps make ‘sharp sharp’ money, but I regret my involvement in the illegal business,” Victor said

When briefed on the outcome of the raid, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Muazu Subaru, advised youths to be creative and energetic, and not to get themselves involved in illegal ventures. He also urged them to stay away from the sale and use of hard drugs

The suspects have been transferred to the narcotic section of the Command for further investigations.

- PM NEWS