Ex-governor Jang diverted N2bn from CBN – Witness alleges

A witness, Mr Taiwo Olorunyomi, an investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) alleged that former Governor Jonah Jang diverted N2 billion which the CBN released to the state government for Micro Enterprises and SME’s.

NAN reports that the EFCC on May 7, preferred a 12-count bordering on alleged corruption and misappropriation against Jang.

It alleged that Jang, who served as Plateau governor between 2007 and 2015, misappropriated N6 billion, two months to the end of his tenure as governor.

Being led in evidence by ICPC Counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, in a High Court in Plateau, Olorunyomi,said:”the CBN entered into a partnership with the Plateau Government to establish a state SME development Agency which would be the vehicle to disburse the funds and recover same.

NAN reports that the EFCC alleged that Jang embezzled the money through Mr Pam Yusuf, then a cashier in the office of the Secretary to the State Government.

“We discovered that when the money was released, it went to the Plateau Project Account instead of the SME project.

” The money again was later moved into another account.

“In our investigation we discovered that the money was used for classified expenditure, an expenditure that has no document to prove how it was expended.

“The defendant (Jang) to our amazement in his statement told us that he did not know what classified expenditure meant.

“From our investigation, the said money is still with the defendant,” he told the court.

Olorunyomi also claimed that the defendant also withdrew another N3 billion N700 million and N400 million cash in trenches from the state SUBEB Account.

He said that Jang stated that the money was borrowed from the account to pay contractors, fund other liabilities in the state and for ‘classified expenditure’.

The witness said that the second defendant (Pam) withdrew the said amounts in cash and delivered it to the first defendant (Jang) stating that their action hindered the activities in SUBEB at the time he was governor of the state.

Also, Jacobs while presenting the second witness, the Secretary to the State Government of Plateau and tendering the statement of the second defendant prayed the court to accept documents tendered by the witness.

Counsel to Jang, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, however objected the prayer, stating that the prosecution did not present him with the documents before sitting and therefore could not present same to the court, describing it as an ‘ambush’.

Ozekhome prayed the court to reject the calling of the witness and accept the statement of the second defendant as he was not served with the documents before the court sitting.

The judge, Justice Daniel Longji, in his ruling, held that a party must not be taken by surprise especially in a criminal case.

Longji held that if one must present a document as exhibit, the defence must have the document.

He adjourned the matter until April 11, for continuation of hearing.

- PM NEWS 

Pension Commission again fails to provide documents to account for N33bn

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) on Tuesday again failed to provide required documents to the House of Representatives ad hoc Committee investigating the alleged withdrawal of N33Billion from the commission’s account.

At a hearing in Abuja, the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Johnson Agbonayinma (APC-Edo) said that the committee had written to PenCOM 10 times, requesting for various documents to enable the investigation but the commission had consistently failed to supply.

He said that the committee requested for account statements of the commission, minutes of its 46th board meeting among other documents.

The lawmaker said that the aim of the investigation was to correct the wrongs in the commission and to move the nation forward saying that it was not about witch-hunt.

He said that many retired officers had died trying to accessing their benefits many years after retirement.

Agbonayinma said that every officer will grow old and retire one day and if not corrected, the issues of accessing retirement benefits would get more complicated for the aged.

He chairman said that all other parties in the investigation which includes the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Head of Service, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pension Fund Administrators(PFA) had all provided documents requested for by committee.

According to him, some of the submission contradicts the explanations made by PenCom on the alleged missing N35 billion in the cause of the hearing.

The chairman said that the investigation was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s drive to end corruption in the country.

In his explanations on the alleged missing funds, the Head of Contribution Bond and Redemption Department of PenCom, Mr Loyinmi Lana said that there was a process the funds must follow before it gets to the final stage where the retired gets the benefits.

He said that in some cases, other agencies such as he Office of the Account General of the Federation were involved in the process which should be funded by the Federal Government.

Accounting to him, at the contribution stage, there is no problem but we have a problem at the Federal Government counterpart funding stage.

On the failure to present document requested for by the committee, Lana said that there were some ambiguity in the letters from the committee.

He said that the committee did not specifically demand for account statement but requested for evidence of commission’s activities within a given period which it complied.

He, however, said that the commission will finish the committee with every other relevant document requested for by Thursday.

The House of Representatives had in December 2018 resolved to investigate the activities of PenCom from April 2017 to date.

The aim was to account for N33 billion pension fund allegedly missing from the coffers of PenCom.

- PM NEWS

Fulani herdsmen massacre 20 people in Kaduna

Suspected herdsmen have reportedly massacred 20 people in a fresh attack on Anguwan Aku Village, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Several others were said to have sustained injuries in the attacks which occurred around around 7.00am on Monday.

A resident of the area who craved anonymity said the attackers were dressed in military uniform and armed with AK-47 rifles, machetes and sticks.

According to him, “They were shooting indiscriminately and everybody started running to the bush. They were pursuing us as we ran to the bush, some people were killed in the bush.

“Some of them were wearing military uniforms with bulletproof vests. I saw them from where I was hiding. The police came in eight Hilux vehicles, but instead of pursuing the bandits who ran to the bushes, they just turned back.”

He said there had been speculations about an impending attacks since last week, which the state government was aware of.

“We had thought that the government would have taken the speculations seriously and be proactive, but they didn’t take it seriously and this had led to the killing of more of our people. It is rather very unfortunate,” he said.

Danladi Yarima, a former president of the Adara Development Association (ADA), confirmed the killings in a telephone interview, describing it as unfortunate.

Efforts to get the reaction of Yakubu Sabo, spokesman of the Kaduna police command, was unsuccessful as his telephone was out of reach.

Kajuru recorded its first killing in 2019 in February, TheCable reports.

- PM NEWS

Two Nigerians stabbed to death in Xenophobic attacks in South Africa

The death toll of Nigerians killed in South Africa has continued to rise with another two being the latest victims in ongoing xenophobic attacks on foreigners in that country.

The latest victims were stabbed to death during xenophobic attacks in Johannesburg and Cape Town on April 5 and April 6, 2019, respectively.

The Assistant Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Union in South Africa (NUSA), Mr Odefa Ikele, confirmed the killings in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from Johannesburg on Monday.

”The Nigerian community lost two citizens to gruesome murders over the weekend.

”Mr Bonny Iwuoha, 48, from Ihitte/Uboma in Imo state, was stabbed to death at about 11:45 p.m. on April 6, 2019 in Johannesburg South.

”We gathered that his assailants followed him from 152 Hay Street Turffontein, and thereafter, stabbed and killed him in front of his gate at Turf Road, Turffontein.

”The killing was witnessed by Mr Izochukwu Nwokocha, also known as, Nwa Father,” he said.

Ikele said the killing had been reported and a case of murder opened at Booysens Police Station in Johannesburg South.

He said that another Nigerian, Goziem Akpenyi, also lost his life in similar circumstance on April 5, 2019.

”Akpenyi was allegedly stabbed to death by three unknown coloured South African men after an argument with the deceased.

”The incident took place at Bellville Stadium parking lot in Cape Town at about 1 p.m. on Friday, April 5, 2019.

”These latest killings adds to four other Nigerians who were shot dead in March. Three of the victims were murdered in Sunnyside, Pretoria and one in Balfour Park, Johannesburg,” he said.

Ikele said that NUSA was concerned over the incessant killings of Nigerians and worried that the perpetrators had not been brought to book.

According to him, the arrest and prosecution of the culprits by the South African Police would put to a stop the daily killings of Nigerians.

”We call on the Nigerian Government to impress on their South African counterpart that the killings have to be investigated and the culprits prosecuted,” he appealed.

- PM NEWS

FAAN confirms Owerri airport fire incident

An inferno on Monday affected some parts of the terminal building of the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri in Imo.

Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, confirmed the incident in a statement in Lagos.

Yakubu said the fire started at about 2.00p.m but was however, curtailed swiftly by officers of the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services Department of FAAN.

“There was no casualty and normal operations has since resumed at the airport.

“The authority has commenced preliminary investigations into the cause of the incident,” she said.

Yakubu said that FAAN was committed to its core values of safety, security and comfort.

- PM NEWS

Beware! those offering you jobs in Middle East are after your organ – IOM

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has warned Nigerians of the booming organ harvest in parts of the Middle East, urging them to beware of fake foreign travel agencies.

According to press statement signed by Mr Ikechukwu Attah, National Protocol Officer, IOM-Nigeria, these fake agencies promise their victims work abroad and help with their travel documents, only to put them in arms way.

“ Beware of fake foreign agencies that promise work abroad. They process your papers, pay your ticket and then take you abroad in pretense that they want to get you a job there.

“Instead, they end up killing their victims and harvesting all the valuable body parts.

“A lot of people were offered jobs in the Middle East but up to now their family members cannot trace their whereabouts,“ Attah said.

He said that the “body parts black market’’ was now booming in parts of the Middle East, and advised prospective migrants to always go through proper channels to avoid falling victim.

“The body parts black market business is booming in Middle East.

“One kidney now costs 262,000 dollars, heart costs 119,000 dollars and liver costs 157,000 dollars.

“ Let our children and grandchildren be aware of these evil devices,’’ he said

- PM NEWS

Shock as man ‘resurrected’ by controversial South African pastor, dies

The Zimbabwean man, Brighton ‘Elliot’ Moyo, who was reportedly ‘raised from the dead’ by a South African pastor, Alph Lukau in February has died again and buried.

Pastor Lukau took the world by storm in February when a video of his resurrection of Moyo from the dead went viral on the internet.

It was later discovered that the purported resurrection was stage-managed and Lukau had to apologise for the dastard act.

According to local publication, H-Metro, as quoted by iharare.com, Brighton died last week in a village called St Luke’s in South Africa.

Unfortunately for Brighton, there was no resurrection this time and he was buried on Saturday. He is survived by his wife only as they had no children, a close family member who spoke to H-Metro said,

It was gathered that his stomach started swelling and did not stop for three days and on the third day, he died.

According to other reports, when Brighton joined Lukau’s Alleluia Ministries International there were reports that he was HIV positive and that he had kidney failure and he also had TB (tuberculosis).

When reached for comment, officials from the church stressed that what happened in February was not a miracle.

- PM NEWS