Two electrocuted by PHCN high-tension cables

The high tension cable and the damaged vehicle.

A high-tension cable belonging to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria on Thursday killed two occupants of a building located on Aladelola Street in Ketu, Lagos.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the deceased, Yekini Osijirin and Garba Memuna, were killed after the wire fell on them.

Osijirin, who is an employee of PHCN was said to have been attempting to salvage his car from burning around 5am when the incident occurred. It was learnt that it was in a bid to save him that Memuna was also electrocuted.

A neighbour, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “From what I heard, after the wire sparked, a Peugeot 404 in the compound caught fire and Osijirin rushed out of his flat to move his Toyota Corolla, which was parked close to the burning vehicle.

“He accidentally touched the naked wire by the wall and he died. Memuna, who is the security guard, thought he could save Osijirin who was on the floor. He was also electrocuted in the process.”

The incident caused a stir in the area as commercial motorcyclists and other residents flooded the compound to see what had happened, causing a traffic snarl in the area.

Osijirin, who is a father of two, was described as an easy-going man and a devout Muslim. All efforts to speak with his family proved abortive.

Memuna’s friends took his corpse for burial shortly after the incident.

One of Memuna’s friends, Alhaji Isiaka Askandra, said he (Memuna) had been working in the compound for over 20 years.

He said, “Memuna has four children in Niger Republic and he has been here for at least 20 years. Everyone knew him in the area because he also had a kiosk where he sold cigarettes, biscuits and other petty goods. He was a nice man. We will bury him today (Thursday).

Some youths in the area, however, berated PHCN  for the incident, saying that the manner with which the wires were installed was not right.

One of the youths, Moses Adekunle, said, “If you look at the poles, you will notice that these high-tension wires can snap lose at any time. Just last month, a similar incident occurred on Oluyombo Street in this same area but no one died.”

The Public Affairs Manager, PHCN Ikeja Distribution Office, Mr. Pekun Adeyanju, could not be reached for comment. However, a senior official who spoke to our correspondent in confidence, said efforts were being made to change electrical equipment so as to forestall a recurrence.

PUNCH

100 suspected robbers attack Brinin-Gwari, kill three policemen

One of the banks bombed during the attack.

ABOUT 100 armed robbers on Thursday unleashed terror on the residents of Birnin-Gwari  town, in the Brinin Gwari Council of Kaduna State,  killing three policemen in an operation that lasted two hours.

The  robbers also razed a police station and two banks in the area, according to the Kaduna State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Aminu Lawan.

A resident of the area who spoke on condition of anonymity said the robbers struck in the early hours of Thursday.

“They headed for the police station in the area and engaged the policemen on duty in a gun duel. They shot sporadically for hours and overpowered the policemen on duty.

“Thereafter, they went to  two banks located in the town where we  heard a deafening sound of a bomb across the town. They vandalised the banks and break their ATM machines,” the resident narrated.

The incident came barely 24 hours after  the Emir of Birnin Gwari, Alhaji Zubairu Jibril,  raised the alarm that armed robbers had taken over his domain.

The emir said the  men of the underworld  were in charged of affairs in the area.

Jibril spoke when he led other traditional rulers, politicians and traders on a courtesy visit to the Kaduna State Governor, Dr. Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, to make a formal complaint about the activities of armed bandits in his domain.

He said the robbers raped wives of victims, and that over 7,000 heads of cattle were stolen by the bandits.

The Emir had said,  “From November last year, when we had the Dogondawa incident, the government  promised to do something the late governor and the General Officer Commanding, One Division,  were there, but till now, my people are still waiting for the action of the state government. The situation has worsened. They are doing what they like and they are heavily armed.

“Except in Birnin Gwari town , in other villages in my domain, I am not in charge, and  you are not in charge too.”

In October last year, the sleepy town of Dogodawa in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of  the state was jolted as unidentified gunmen went haywire, killing 20 people in the process.

Those killed  in that attack were mostly Moslem worshippers returning  to their houses in the early hours.

A source told our correspondent  that the Thursday  attack which occured at about 12 mid night and  lasted  for about two hours  left the police station in ruins.

PUNCH

Appeal court determines Rev. King’s fate today

Rev. King

The Court of Appeal in Lagos will Friday (today) decide whether or not to quash the death sentence passed on the General-Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo (aka Rev. King), by a Lagos High Court, Ikeja on January 11, 2007.

The appellate court headed by Justice Amina Augie on November 5, 2012 had heard arguments of parties on the appeal filed by Ezeugo, through his counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo.

Ojo had argued that the lower court judge, Justice Joseph Oyewole, who handed down the death sentence, erred in law in many respects.

But the prosecution, represented by the Lagos State Solicitor-General, Mr. Lawal Pedro, (SAN),   urged the court to uphold Oyewole’s judgment.

“We urge your Lordships to dismiss this appeal,” Pedro said.

Oyewole had convicted Ezeugo and sentenced him to death by hanging for the alleged murder of a church member, Ann Uzoh.

The cleric was on September 26, 2006, first arraigned on six counts of attempted murder.

The prosecution had said Ezeugo poured petrol on the deceased and five others and set them on fire thereafter.

Uzoh died on August 2, 2006, 11 days after the incident, because of the injuries sustained from the incident.

However, Ojo, in his notice of appeal filed on January 16, 2007, raised 16 grounds of appeal against the judgment.

On June 10, 2008, the appellate court granted him leave to argue additional grounds through an amended notice of appeal filed on June 15, 2008.

At the hearing of the appeal, Ojo, who said Ezeugo did not commit the crime and was not at the scene, noted that Uzoh in two statements before her death had said she sustained the injuries in a generator accident.

He added that Uzoh exonerated Ezeugo in the statements, claiming that the latter was not responsible for her injuries.

Ojo further said there was a third statement in which the deceased was said to have claimed the appellant was the one who ordered petrol to be poured on her, thereby contradicting the first two statements.

PUNCH

INEC may deregister ANPP

INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega

The Independent National Electoral Commission may deregister one of three major political parties in the country, the All Nigeria Peoples Party, over constitution violation

Investigations on Thursday  showed that the commission had, in a letter,   accused the party of making a false claim over the amendment of its constitution.

It was learnt that the party had been struggling to respond to the commission’s query.

The commission, it was learnt, would decide on the query issued to the ANPP after receiving the party’s response.

INEC, however, did not put a time frame within which the query must be answered.

It was learnt that the ANPP on January 22, 2013 had written INEC, informing the commission that it altered its constitution in 2011.

Investigations revealed that the commission, however, discovered that the party had amended its constitution since 2010.

Based on Section 222  of the 1999 Constitution as amended,  political parties are supposed to inform the commission of any alteration to their constitution within 30 days.

A stalwart of the ANPP, who pleaded anonymity, said the party was still battling to respond to INEC’s query, which had thrown it into confusion.

He said, “We are still confused about INEC’s query. As things are now, the commission can deregister us.”

When contacted the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, confirmed that the commission wrote the ANPP over constitution violation.

He said, “It is true. In a letter dated January 28, we wrote to them that they should explain (the word deregistration was not used. I can read from the letter), having violated Section 222B of the 1999 Constitution, the ANPP   should show cause why it should not cease to function as a political party.”

Idowu explained that INEC’s letter was a follow-up to a letter written to the commission by the party.

He added, “What happened was that on January 22nd this year, they wrote us that they have amended their constitution and that the constitution was amended at their national convention held in 2011.

“But the commission notes that amendment was actually done in the convention that held on 18 and 19 September 2010, not 2011.

“Meanwhile Section 222B  of the Constitution  of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended  reads  that no association (those are not my words. Those are the constitution words) by whatever name called shall function as a party unless any alteration in its registered constitution is registered in the principal office  of the Independent National Electoral Commission within 30 days of making such alteration.”

Asked if the party had given any explanation, Idowu said, “I am not aware of any explanation as I speak with you.”

He also explained that the INEC letter did not contain a time frame within which the ANPP must respond to accusation against it.

The Publicity Secretary of the ANPP, Mr. Emmanuel Eneukwu, refused to pick telephone calls to his mobile phone.

PUNCH

$620,000 bribe:Farouk Lawan faces trial today

Hon. Farouk Lawan

At long last, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Commission will today arraign a member of the House of Representatives,  Farouk Lawan, over a seven-count  charge bearing on corrupt enrichment.

The charge stems from allegations by a businessman, Chief Femi Otedola, that Lawan demanded  and received  $620,000 as a bribe from him while he (Lawan) was   the chairman of  the House AdHoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime.

The arraignment of Lawan  alongside the secretary of the adhoc committee, Mr. Boniface Emenalo, seems an indication of  the Federal Government sudden readiness to up the tempo of its anti-corruption campaign.

On Wednesday, a former Assistant Director of the Police Pension Office, John Yusuf,  was rearraigned and  remanded in prison custody  barely 24 hours after an Abuja High Court handed him a light sentence after admitting to conniving with others to defraud the office and pensioners of N27.2bn.

Many civil society groups and  Nigerians, including students,  had denounced the Abuja High Court judgment, saying it was an indication of Federal Government’s unwillingness to take on the fight  against corruption headlong.

Lawan and Emenalo, will however, be arraigned before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of a Federal Capital Territory High Court today. Oniyangi had  on Thursday granted the ICPC leave to file the seven counts  against them.

Oniyangi  said, “Upon careful consideration of the application and attached documents in support of same filed by the complainant’s counsel, leave is hereby granted to the complainant/applicant to prefer criminal charges under section 185 (b) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

“The case is fixed for February 1, 2013 for arraignment.”

Lawan and Emanalo are to be tried  for  “Violation of the Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Act, 2000.”

The charge sheet with reference number FCT/HC/CR/76/2013 was signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mrs. O.O. Fatunde, on behalf of the Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed  Adoke (SAN).

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is the complainant, while Lawan and Emenalo are the defendants.

Count one of the charge reads, “That you,  Farouk Lawan (M) and Mr. Emenalo Boniface (M) sometime in April 2012 or thereabouts in Abuja within the Federal Capital Territory under the jurisdiction of this honourable court did while acting in the course of your official duties as Chairman and Secretary (respectively) of House of Representatives AdHoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime conspired between yourselves and with each other to corruptly obtain the sum of $3,000,000  for yourselves from Mr. Femi Otedola, Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, as inducement to remove the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd from the House of Representatives AdHoc Committee on Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime’s Report and did cause the House to remove the name of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd from the said list and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 26(1)(c) of the Independent  Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Act, 2000, and punishable under section 8(1) of the same Act.”

In count two, Lawan was accused of corruptly asking for $3,000,000 from Otedola with the intention of favouring him (Otedola) in the report of the adhoc committee, an offence punishable under section 8(1) of the same Act.

While in  count three,  Lawan  was said to have  corruptly agreed  to accept the  $3,000,000, count four indicated that he obtained $500,000 from Otedola Otedola.

In the same vein, count five accused Emenalo of asking for$3,000,000 for himself from Otedola as a bribe, an offence  punishable under section 8(1) of the ICPC 2000 Act.

The prosecution alleged in count six that Emenalo was offered bribe by Otedola but he failed to report the offer to any officer of the ICPC, an offence contrary to section 23(1) of the ICPC Act, 2000, and punishable under section 23(3) of the same 2000 ICPC Act.

In count seven, Emenalo was equally accused of receiving  $120,000 from Otedola .

In an affidavit deposed to by one Chidi Amaeze, the ICPC disclosed that investigation into the criminal case had since been concluded.

Lawan had repeatedly denied Otedola’s accusations, saying he collected the $620,000 as evidence to expose the businessman’s attempts to bribe him.

The prosecution is coming several months after the police had concluded investigations into the allegation. The report of the police investigation, as well as the case file, was reportedly submitted to the AGF in August 2012.

The AGF’s silence on the matter had given rise to insinuations that the Federal Government had swept the matter under the carpet.

However, a lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, had last week, sent draft charges against Lawan to the AGF, and in a letter accompanying the charge, he gave  the AGF a one-week ultimatum to indicate his readiness to prosecute Lawan.

The ultimatum expired on Tuesday.

Keyamo had explained that he decided to prepare, and send the draft charge to the AGF following indications that he (AGF) was unwilling to prosecute the case for undisclosed reasons.

But reacting to Keyamo’s ultimatum, government prosecutor, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), had informed journalists that Lawan would be arraigned during the week.

PUNCH

NNPC took illegal N1.4tn fuel subsidy –NEITI

Chairman, NEITI, Mr. Ledum Mitee

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation illegally paid itself the sum of N1.4tn between 2009 and 2011 as petrol subsidy, a  Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative audit report for 2009 – 2011, has shown.

The highlights of the report presented by the Chairman of NEITI, Mr. Ledum Mitee, to journalists in Abuja, also showed that the NNPC owed the Federation Account  a whopping  N1.3tn.

Further, the report showed that the corporation which is the custodian of the nation’s oil resources, received $4.48bn from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas which it has yet to remit  to the Federation Account.

NNPC, it was also reported, engaged in foreign exchange scam by using exchange rates lower than what was obtainable  at the Central Bank of Nigeria in its transactions. The scam led to the loss of N98.3bn by the government  within the period of three years (2009 – 2011).

Similarly, operators in the oil and gas sector engaged in under reporting quantities they produced for the purpose of Petroleum Profit Tax assessment. This scam led to the loss of $2.65bn.

The report also showed that the unresolved difference between what the government received and what companies claimed they paid amounted to $68.4m

Another $311.85m represented cash flow to the Federation Account as claimed to have been paid by operators in the sector but the payments had not been confirmed in CBN statements.

The report indicated  that Nigeria made $143.5bn (about N22.35tn) from oil and gas operations  between 2009 and 2011. It also showed that the subsidy claims by the  NNPC grew astronomically within the three years covered by the report.

Mitee said, “The financial report clearly underlines that contrary to the practice where subsidy payments are claimed from the Petroleum Support Fund through the Petroleum Products and Pricing Regulatory Agency by the qualifying oil marketing companies,  the NNPC draws subsidy payments directly from domestic crude sales proceeds before remittances to the Federation Account.

“As a result, a sum of N1.4tn was claimed during the period by the NNPC as oil subsidy payments. Subsidy payments claimed by the NNPC increased by 110 per cent. For example, it rose from N198bn in 2009 to N416bn in 2010.

“In 2011 alone, it rose to N786bn. The increase between 2009 and 2011 alone was 186 per cent. The physical and process audit expected to be released in March is currently carrying out further validations on subsidy payment transactions to include other marketers.

“Another important revelation of the report is that financial flows from the  NLNG include dividends and repayment of loans of which an amount of $4.84bn was received by  the NNPC.

“The report confirmed that these amounts have not been remitted neither to the CBN/NNPC JP Morgan Account nor the Federation Account.

“Furthermore, the report observes that this has been a recurring issue as an amount of $3.99bn was also reported as received but not remitted by the NNPC in the previous audits.

“The audit report also reveals that the  NNPC owes N1.31tn to the Federation Account as of December 31,  2011. This is a trade debt. This is because the sum of N928bn falls within the 90 days permissible period, leaving a balance of N377bn which the NNPC is currently paying by installment to the Federation Account.”

When contacted, NNPC’s General Manager, Media,  Dr. Omar Ibrahim, said  the corporation  had yet to see the report.

“We have not seen the report. When we see it,  we will study it and then respond. What we can assure Nigerians is that many of such reports had come out and they turned out to be false. A typical example is the Auditor-General’s report that was released last year,” he said.

The total fund accruing to the nation, according to the report, came through proceeds from the sales of equity crude, royalty, signature bonus, concession rentals, gas flaring penalties, PPT and companies income tax.

Mitee said, “A breakdown of these earnings shows that sales of crude oil and gas within the period under review amounted to $81.9bn. The total sum of revenues that accrued to government from PPT, royalty, signature bonus, gas flaring penalties and concessional rentals amounted to $45.7bn; revenue from companies income tax, value added tax and withholding tax within the period amounted to $6.1bn, while the sum of $4.8bn was reported as revenue from dividends and repayment of loans by the  NLNG.

“The total cash flow to states arising from withholding tax and PAYE was $1.5bn while the total cash flow to other entities arising from the contributions to Niger Delta Development Commission and education tax was $3.2bn.

“The total financial flow represents a decrease of four per cent from what government earned in the sector in 2006 to  2008 when compared to total flow of $148.8bn as against the reported government earnings of $143.5bn for 2009 – 2011.”

Mitee explained that the decrease was largely due to adjustments in the applicable average oil price despite fairly consistent production volumes.

Mitee said from the alleged scam of under reporting that led to under assessment of $2.65bn, a total of $442m had been recovered while some operators affected in the allegation were threatening legal actions.

He also disclosed that some companies refused to collaborate with NEITI and its auditors in the process of compiling the report.

The companies include NECONDE Energy Limited, SEPTA Energy Limited, Energia Limited and Emerald Energy Resources.

The NEITI chairman said the organisation would impose appropriate sanctions on  the companies in accordance with its ( NEITI ) enabling Act.

The report said there was a need to confirm the ownership of the 49 per cent investments in  the  NLNG – whether it was for the benefit of the federation, the Federal Government, or  the NNPC.

It called on the Federal Government to consider reviewing the daily allocation of 445,000 barrels per day to the level of available local refining capacity to avoid the gap process.

The report said, “Domestic crude oil sale proceeds should be paid to  the CBN in the currency of sales, where it should be converted at the appropriate rate by the apex bank  and  then  moved into  the Federation Account. This is to forestall the exchange rate shortfalls.

“NNPC should promptly pay its debt to the federation. The Federal Government should review the deduction of subsidy claims from the proceeds of domestic crude by NNPC to align them with due process like other marketers who draw their subsidy claims from PSF.

“All revenues accruing to the Federation Account should be subject to provisions of the appropriation act and in accordance with the constitution. The CBN, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation should meet and reconcile these payments. To avoid recurrence, regular reconciliation exercise should be carried out within the year of transaction.”

It added that the NNPC should disclose all contingent liabilities in its financial statements to promote transparency and accountability, especially on alternative financing arrangements.

PUNCH

85-year-old man escapes lynching after molesting girl, 14

Baba Yellow

An 85-year-old man known to the Somolu community as Baba Yellow on Wednesday, escaped death at the hands of an angry mob when residents discovered that he had sexually molested a 14 year old girl(name withheld).

Policemen attached to the Onipanu police division were said to have stopped the mob action by arresting Baba Yellow and dispersing the crowd consisting of enraged mothers and petty traders.

Before the intervention of the police, the crowd had dragged Baba Yellow from his residence at George Street and booed him through the community for over an hour.

A resident who identified himself as Olamide said, “The mob stripped and on the verge of lynching him when the police arrived.

“It was one of Baba Yellow’s neighbours who discovered that he had been sleeping with the girl. The neighbour had seen her leaving Baba Yellow’s room and he is notorious in the community for sleeping with young girls.

“The girl’s guardian was immediately informed and she raised the alarm after the girl confessed that Baba Yellow had been having regular sex with her.”

The enraged guardian allegedly marched to Baba Yellow’s house, where she engaged him in a shouting match after she confirmed from his neighbours that her ward had indeed been a regular visitor to Baba Yellow’s apartment.

A father of four grown-ups, Baba Yellow lives with his wife in a one-bedroom apartment. However, the wife who plies her trade at the Mile 2 market is usually away from home during the day.

His victim told PUNCH METRO that she met Baba Yellow at Sunday market, Somolu where she had gone to purchase some items for her guardian. She said, “He gave me some money and asked me to come to his house. When I didn’t show up, he later came to my compound to look for me. That was how we went to his room and had sex. He has been sleeping with me for a month.”

PUNCH METRO gathered that this is not Baba Yellow’s first victim. For over the 30 years he had lived in Somolu, the octogenarian was said to have served a prison term once for molesting a young girl. Sources within the Somolu community said his victims were many.

A mother, who identified herself as Mrs. Biliki Usman said, “He already has a reputation here and most mothers warn their daughters to stay clear of him. Yet he manages to always get victims. There have been claims that he hypnotizes his victims. In 2005, Baba Yellow was arrested and convicted of sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl. He served three years in Kirikiri. In 2011, he was arrested by the Alade police division for sexually molesting a nine year old too. The matter was later settled and did not get to court. There had been other countless arrests.

“Everyone is tired of him; he is a danger to young children and we just want him out of our community, forever.”

But Baba Yellow told the angry mob that he was lured by the 14-year-old girl.

He said, “Each time she comes to my house, she would undress herself and ask me to look at her breast. You can see she has been coming to me all this while on her own; she is a flirt and spoiled child.”

It was learnt that the girl had been taken to Oguntolu General Hospital for medical attention.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ngozi Braide, when contacted said, “I will get back to you when I have got the details of the

 PUNCH