N18.3m Pension Scam: Shaibu Teidi To Remain in Prison

A former Director, Pension Accounts, in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Shaibu Teidi who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for defrauding the Head of Service pension accounts to the tune of N18.3million is to remain in Kuje Prison where he was remanded upon arraignment on June 7, 2013.

Teidi was arraigned alongside Udusegbe Eric Omoefe and their companies on a twenty two count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, conspiracy to commit fraud and concealing the illicit origin of stolen pension funds. They were remanded pending hearing of their bail applications.

However at the resumed hearing today, July 1, 2013, Justice Adeniyi Ademola said he could not rule on the bail application brought by the 1st accused person (Teidi), in view of the petition by the defendant to the Chief Justice of the Federation, alleging that the court was bias in the handling of his case.

“By law, when there is allegation of bias against a judicial officer, a matter can’t proceed, all proceedings has to be suspended until the allegations are cleared”, Justice Ademola said.

He thereafter adjourned the case sine die, (indefinitely), leaving counsel to the accused, Mr. Sunday Ameh (SAN) in shock. Ameh said he was stunned by the development as he has no knowledge that his client had written such petition to the Chief Justice.

In a related development, Aliyu Bello, a former special assistant to the Director of Administration (Pension Accounts) at the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and Abdullahi Omeiza, a Sokoto school teacher, standing trial for criminal conversion and obtaining over N1billion naira under false pretences in another pension fraud case have been admitted to bail.

The accused were granted bail in the sum of Three Hundred and Sixty Six Million Naira (N366, 000,000) each and a surety in like sum.

The case has been adjourned to 14, 15 and 16 of October, 2013 for commencement of trail.

Internet images of child abuse double in just a year: 70,000 sickening pictures and videos discovered online in 2012

The number of sickening child abuse images found on the internet has doubled in a year, a report has found.
As Britain's internet giants face growing demands to do more to block indecent images, experts said 70,000 pictures and videos of children being abused were discovered last year - double the 2011 figure of 35,000.
The annual study by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre also highlighted a growing problem: vulnerable families in developing countries streaming live abuse of their children via webcam in exchange for cash from paedophiles.

Going online: As Britain's internet giants face growing demands to do more to block indecent images, experts said 70,000 pictures and videos of children being abused were discovered last year (file picture)

It also found that there has been a 70 per cent increase in the number of images featuring girls under the age of 10, and a 125 per cent increase in the number of Level 4 images - which feature sex with children - on the internet.
In its annual threat assessment of child sexual exploitation and abuse, CEOP said the rape and sexual assault of children being shown live over the internet was an emerging problem, and said that paedophiles were increasingly using sophisticated software to hide their illegal activities.
Many are said to use heavily encrypted networks and other security measures to hide their abuse pictures within the 'hidden internet'.
Peter Davies, chief executive of CEOP, said: ‘Our assessment shows that, sadly, there are still too many children at risk and too many people who would cause them serious harm.

‘While the assessment may not make comfortable reading, that isn’t its purpose. It’s an objective assessment of the issues as we see them but as a result it is also, undoubtedly, a call to action.
‘We should all practise zero tolerance to child sexual exploitation and abuse.’
The ease with which paedophiles can find sickening images has come under scrutiny in recent months following the convictions of Mark Bridger and Stuart Hazell for the murders of five-year-old April Jones and 12-year-old Tia Sharp.
Both men had visited child abuse sites before the attacks. The parents of both children have called for more action to tackle the problem.

In the spotlight: The ease at which paedophiles can find sickening images has come under scrutiny in recent months following the convictions of Mark Bridger (left) and Stuart Hazell (right) for the murders of young girls

CEOP warned that one in 58 children in the UK will be abused by someone who is not a relative before they turn 18.  And it says an estimated 50,000 web users are involved in distributing the sickening images in Britain.
There are 10,000 fresh cases of children being abuse being reported in Britain each year, it found.

Justice minister Damian Green said: ‘These figures are deeply troubling and show how our understanding of child sexual exploitation has greatly improved in recent years.

'More needs to be done. Together, as communities, we need to ensure these sickening crimes no longer remain hidden'

Justice minister Damian Green

‘Police are bringing more cases before the courts and significant sentences are being handed down to perpetrators. But more needs to be done.
'Together, as communities, we need to ensure these sickening crimes no longer remain hidden.’
An NSPCC spokesman added: ‘The evidence the NSPCC has gathered from all police forces in England and Wales shows there are around 20,000 sexual offences against children reported every year and many of the victims are under primary-school age.
‘However, we believe this is far from the true situation as many cases are never revealed. And since the (Jimmy) Savile sex crimes were revealed, our helpline has experienced an increase in the number of adults reporting cases which happened many years, even decades, earlier.
‘While there are cases of children being sexually assaulted by strangers, the vast majority of these offences - around nine out of 10 - are committed by someone the child knows.’

dailymail.co.uk

Australian girl, 4, dies after swallowing button-sized lithium battery

A four-year-old girl has died from internal bleeding after swallowing a button-sized lithium battery.
The child, from Tewantin on the Sunshine Coast in Australia, was rushed to her local hospital around 8am Sunday morning with symptoms of stomach bleeding.
Medical staff immediately airlifted the child who was in a critical condition to the Royal Brisbane Hospital where she could receive specialist treatment.
But despite the best efforts of doctors, the toddler died later that afternoon.

Tragedy: The four-year-old girl from Tewantin was rushed to nearby Noosa Hospital on the Sunshine Coast after swallowing the battery but later died from stomach bleeding

Susan Teerds from Kidsafe Queensland warned that parents must be vigilant in keeping the button-shaped batteries, which are found in many common household items, out of the reach of children.

She told ABC radio: 'When a child swallows a battery it often gets caught in the oesophagus, around the voice box. Once it's been lodged, within an hour, it will start to burn a hole.

Potentially lethal: Button-sized lithium batteries are found in many common household items such as remote controls and thermometers

'The saliva actually starts a chemical reaction and burns a hole through the oesophagus and can keep burning a hole into the aorta, through to the spine and whatever else is there.'
Kidsafe Queensland estimates that four children are taken to emergency departments across Australia with button battery-related injuries every week.
Kidsafe has launched a Battery Controlled Campaign to try and make parents aware of the dangers of lithium batteries.
If a child swallows a button battery, it can get stuck in the child's throat and burn through the oesophagus in as little as two hours.
Repairing the damage can require feeding and breathing tubes and multiple surgeries.
If the battery is swallowed completely, it will leak in the stomach, causing internal bleeding.
Lithium batteries are common in toys, remotes and thermometers.

dailymail.com

Man, 26, arrested on suspicion of murdering his 84-year-old grandmother before stabbing schoolboy, 9, at skate park

A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of his 84-year-old grandmother and the attempted murder of a nine-year-old boy who was stabbed in a skate park, police said.
Officers found Louisa Denby's body in a bedroom at her home in Prospect Mount, Shipley, West Yorkshire, following reports that the boy had been attacked in the Carnegie skate park in the town.
West Yorkshire Police said the pensioner had suffered 'numerous stab wounds'.

Stabbing: A policeman stands at the Windmill Recreation Ground in Shipley, West Yorkshire, following the stabbing of a nine-year-old boy at the skate park

Scene: The body of pensioner Louisa Denby, 84, was discovered by police following reports of the attack on the schoolboy at the skate park in Shipley

Her grandson was arrested at 4.10am today in nearby Idle on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, a West Yorkshire Police spokesman said.

Another 26-year-old man has also been arrested on suspicion of murder and three other local men have been arrested over the incident in the skate park, the spokesman added.
The boy was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where he remains in a stable condition, police said.

Treatment: The boy is now in a stable condition at Leeds General Infirmary in West Yorkshire

The police statement said: 'Police have arrested a 26-year-old man from Shipley on suspicion of murder following the discovery of an 84-year-old woman’s body at a property in the town.
'The same suspect has also been arrested in connection with the incident at Carnegie Skate Park yesterday afternoon in which a 9-year-old boy sustained stab wounds.
'Officers conducting enquires into the incident at the skate park discovered the woman’s body in an upstairs bedroom of her home on Prospect Mount, Shipley around 11.59pm last night.
'The deceased, who had suffered numerous stab wounds, has been named as Louisa Denby.
'The 26-year-old man, who was spotted by a member of the public, was arrested around 4.10am this morning on Westfield Lane, Idle.'
The injured nine-year-old boy is expected to undergo surgery this morning.
He was flown to hospital by air ambulance after emergency services were called to the skate park at 4.40pm yesterday. The spokesman said he received chest and arm injuries.
After the boy had been attacked, officers launched an urgent search for a white man, in his twenties, wearing a cap and glasses who was believed to be carrying a walking stick.

dailymail.com

Live footage of children being sexually abused is becoming 'increasingly available over the internet' as families are paid to set up access to victims

There has been an increase in reports of the sexual abuse of children being streamed live over the internet on services like Skype, it has today been revealed

Live footage of children being abused is becoming increasingly available over the internet on services like Skype, child exploitation experts have today warned.
Officers have noted an increase in the number of offenders who target vulnerable families overseas and pay them to set up live access to children over webcams in exchange for payment.
In a report, published today, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre has flagged the practice as an emerging threat after it saw an increase in the number of images and videos shared in 2012.
In its annual threat assessment of child sexual exploitation and abuse, Ceop also warned that there are increased fears of child sexual abuse in Brazil as more visitors head there over the coming years for the World Cup and Olympic Games.
In 2012, Ceop received 8,000 reports of indecent images of children being shared, and has reported a two-fold increase in the number of images and videos on previous years to 70,000.
Peter Davies, Ceop chief executive called for a 'zero tolerance' attitude to child sexual exploitation'.
He said: 'It’s part of CEOP’s job to inform the public and our partners about how our understanding of the risk to children from sexual exploitation and abuse is developing. 
'Every year we refresh our assessment and build our operational plans around it.  This year, of course, our assessment will also feed into the wider efforts of the National Crime Agency, whose mission is to protect the public and cut crime.
'Events of the last year show that interest in protecting children, both online and offline, has never been greater and we hope that sharing what we know with as many other people as possible will help make children safer.
'Our assessment shows that, sadly, there are still too many children at risk and too many people who would cause them serious harm. We should all practice zero tolerance to child sexual exploitation and abuse.'

Live streaming was firsy identified as an emerging method of producing and distributing indecent images last year, the report said.
And Ceop warned that this tactic - particularly in the developing world - continues to carry a high risk this year.
Sex offenders are targeting families and children in areas with extreme poverty, rising levels of access to the internet and poor child protection policies, the report said.
The centre also raised concerns about the use of the so-called hidden internet - heavily encrypted forums and pages that allow abusers to cover their tracks when accessing indecent images online.
UK daily users connecting to secret or encrypted networks increased by two thirds, one of the largest annual increases globally, the report said, with 20,000 daily UK users of such networks expected by the end of this year, although not all of these will use the hidden internet for criminal means.
Meanwhile, Ceop found that there has been a 70 per cent increase in the number of female victims under 10 years old.
The report comes shortly after after five members of a seven-man sadistic paedophile ring found guilty of grooming vulnerable underage girls were given life sentences at the Old Bailey.
Two other defendants were both jailed for seven years.

Offenders target vulnerable families overseas and pay them to set up live access to children over webcams in exchange for payment, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) has found

Ceop said that a number of offenders have been identified as targeting teenagers and young adults on the basis of their vulnerability rather than due to a specific sexual interest in children. These are known as 'type one' offenders and crimes.
And figures from police forces show that the majority of type one offenders were categorised as Asian, and 97 per cent of type one offences involved white victims.
But figures from 25 police forces revealed 2,120 lone perpetrators and 31 forces reported 65 group or gang related offences.
An NSPCC spokeswoman said: 'The evidence the NSPCC has gathered from all police forces in England and Wales shows there are around 20,000 sexual offences against children reported every year and many of the victims are under primary-school age.
'However, we believe this is far from the true situation as many cases are never revealed. And since the Savile sex crimes were revealed, our helpline has experienced an increase in the number of adults reporting cases which happened many years, even decades, earlier.
'While there are cases of children being sexually assaulted by strangers, the vast majority of these offences - around nine out of 10 - are committed by someone the child knows.
'It is crucial that our efforts to protect children from sexual abuse focus on deterrence and prevention and that our focus is the risk to children, both on and offline.'
Other key findings show that approximately 190,000 UK children (1 in 58) will suffer contact sexual abuse by a non-related adult before turning 18, with approximately 10,000 new child victims of contact sexual abuse being reported in the UK each year.

Policing and criminal justice minister Damian Green has labeled the findings 'deeply troubling'

Policing and criminal justice minister Damian Green said: 'These figures are deeply troubling and show how our understanding of child sexual exploitation has greatly improved in recent years. Police are bringing more cases before the courts and significant sentences are being handed down to perpetrators.
'But more needs to be done. CEOP is doing excellent work and we will see its capability strengthened when it is transferred to the National Crime Agency later this year.
'I am leading a new Home Office group which is urgently looking at how we better identify those at risk, create a more victim-focused culture within the police, health and children's services, improve data-sharing and address cultural barriers to uncovering abuse.
'Together, as communities, we need to ensure these sickening crimes no longer remain hidden.'
Javed Khan, chief executive of independent charity Victim Support, said: 'It is sadly no surprise that the threat of child sexual abuse and exploitation is increasing in the UK.
'We know from recent high profile court cases, including in Oxford and Telford, that children and vulnerable adults remain at risk of extreme abuse, corruption and trafficking at the hands of a criminal underworld - creating what can only be described as modern day sexual slavery.
'But the police service must also ask itself some searching questions. It's first priority is to prevent and detect crime.
'Yet the national threat assessment has had to fill gaps because of inconsistencies in the way forces collect, record and categorise child sex abuse offences.
' It is essential that every dot is joined-up if the most vulnerable in our society are to be protected.
'Every police force must therefore contribute fully and consistently to the national intelligence picture. Only then will we have a true picture of the scale of the problem.'

dailymail.com

Police killed my son, I want justice – Prophet

Olayinka

When in June 2013, Olayinka Kolawole gained admission to Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State, to read Mass Communication, his family and friends rejoiced with him.

This was because Kolawole  had been trying for three years to further his education after finishing from Sam Glory Secondary School, Ejigbo, Lagos.

However, the family was thrown into mourning a few days later after the 20-year-old was allegedly killed by policemen attached to Ejigbo Division.

The father of the deceased, Prophet Omisande Kolawole, told PUNCH Metro that the incident occurred on June 15, 2013.

Narrating what transpired on the fateful day, Omisande said his son had gone to attend a friend’s birthday party but was killed on his way home.

He said, “My son went out to attend his friend’s birthday party not too far from our home. He said he would not stay long and we told him not to stay out too long. The following day, which was a Sunday, we did not see or hear from him and we began to panic.

“Later we heard that police embarked on a raid the previous night. We even thought he had been arrested. His mother, Grace Kolawole, and her nephew, Segun Adio, went to the Ejigbo Police Division but they were told that there were no suspects in their cell.

“However, residents told us that they had seen my son’s corpse being conveyed by policemen. After about three hours later, the policemen opened up and told us that my son had been killed. My wife immediately fainted.”

Omisande said even after his wife had been revived, the police refused to take her statement as well as the statement of Adio, her nephew.

He said Adio and other residents set out to investigate what actually happened and it was discovered that his son was killed by a stray bullet which emanated from the gun of a policeman popularly known as Oba.

He said, “We were told that around 8pm on the fateful day, Titan Hotel, located at Asaolu Close, was holding an event tagged Ladies’ night. At the hotel, one policeman popularly known as Oba was having a drink and dancing with a lady.

“We learnt that Oba left the hotel premises to receive a telephone call but on returning to the hotel, Oba got into a fight with a youth over the lady he was dancing with. The altercation degenerated into fisticuffs and Oba ran out of the premises and called his colleagues for back-up.

“When his colleagues arrived at the scene, a shoot-out ensued. During the shooting, my son, who was on his way home from another party was hit in the head by a stray bullet and died instantly.”

Omisande said since his son’s killing, life had not been the same. He said his wife was hospitalised and was only recently discharged.

The deceased’s mother, Grace, who spoke to PUNCH Metro while fighting back tears, said everything was still like a dream.

“Olayinka was the first of my three children. My other children are still young and it feels as if all my labour has been in vain. I want justice for his death,” she said.

Omisande described his son as a responsible boy and wondered why the police would attempt to cover up his murder.

“The policemen at Ejigbo prevented us from seeing the Divisional Police Officer. We are being treated with comtempt because we are not rich. All we want is justice for our son’s murder.”

When contacted on the telephone, the spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, confirmed Olayinka’s murder.

She said the matter would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, for further investigation.

She said, “The DPO told me that around 2am on the said date, they received a distress call that cult members were fighting. On getting to the scene, the cult members fled but policemen discovered the young man’s corpse.

“The father of the deceased told the DPO that one policeman identified as Oba was responsible for his son’s death. However, we have not been able to get the actual identity of the policeman. We are transferring the case to the SCID for further investigation.

“We are however calling on eyewitnesses to come forward and we promise that their identities will be protected.”

PUNCH

FG to merge EFCC, ICPC

uly 2, 2013 by Ade Adesomoju and Olalekan Adetayo 16 Comments    

EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde and ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nt

The Federal Government has approved the merging of its two anti-graft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission.

The merger of the two commissions comes as part of the government’s decision to implement the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.

This is contained in the report of the review committee on the White Paper chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan, obtained by our correspondent on Monday.

The EFCC was established in 2003 to investigate financial crimes such as Advance Fee Fraud (419) and money laundering. Its establishment by the ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration was seen to be an urgent response to pressure from the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, which had named Nigeria as one of the 23 countries non-cooperative in the international community’s efforts to fight money laundering.

The ICPC was also inaugurated by the Obasanjo administration to, among other functions, receive and investigate reports of corruption and prosecute the offender[s]; and to examine, review and enforce the correction of corruption-prone systems and procedures of public bodies with a view to eliminating corruption in public life.

 Both agencies were set up by enabling laws.

Also the Federal Executive Council has ordered the scrapping of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, the National Poverty Eradication Programme and 218 other agencies established by it.

The names and number of federal agencies ordered to be scrapped or merged are included in a list already approved by the FEC, a copy of which was obtained by one of our correspondents on Monday.

Reuben Abati, spokesman for President Goodluck Jonathan, had disclosed on June 12, 2013 that the FEC was considering the scrapping of 220 out of 541 federal parastatals, commissions and agencies.

But the Presidency said on Monday that no final decision had been reached on the implementation of the Oronsaye committee report.

“The report is still at the FEC level and a committee was set up to review the White Paper. There is no final decision yet on the recommendations, anything outside this is mere speculation. Nigerians should wait until government releases the White Paper. They should not rely on speculation,” Abati told journalists in Abuja.

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, had at the end of the FEC meeting last Wednesday told journalists that the council had concluded its three-week discussions on the draft White Paper on the report of the committee.

 The FEC list also shows that the Fiscal Responsibility Commission has been abolished with its functions transferred to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Responsibility, while BPE has been ordered “to conclude its assignment” and be wound up.

The Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation Commission will also assume the responsibilities of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, which has also been abolished by the Federal Government.

Also abolished is the Public Complaints Council, whose responsibilities are to be taken up by the National Human Rights Commission.

The development followed months of speculations about government’s plan to cut down cost of running the government and to re-invigorate federal ministries, departments and agencies for greater efficiency.

Among the recommendations of the Oronsaye-committee rejected by the FEC was the scrapping of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.

“The government rejects the recommendation of the Presidential Committee that the NCPC and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria be abolished and their functions be transferred to a department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” President Jonathan’s review committee stated.

Affected by the mild shake-up recommended by the Oronsaye committee are two professional organisations, the Council for Registered Engineers and Surveyors Registration Council which the Federal Government had ordered would no longer receive budgetary allocation from the 2015 Fiscal Year.

Shake-ups which the Federal Government had also carried out on some of the parastatals, commissions and agencies include a recommendation that “the law establishing Police Service Commission be amended to make Hon. Minister of Police Affairs to head the commission”.

The Federal Government has also directed that “the withdrawal of the Military from the Contributory Pension Scheme be reversed,” while the enabling law of the Nigeria Football Association “will be amended to reflect the directive of International Federation of Association Football (otherwise known as FIFA) that the organisation should be renamed Federation”.

The National Youth Service Corps is also to be “restructured with a view to developing a framework to cover critical areas of national socio-economic development to which corps members would be deployed for their primary assignments.”

Among the agencies to be retained by the government are the Nigeria Police Council, Bureau of Public Procurement, Infrastructural Concessionary and Regulatory Commission, National Sports Commission, National Institute of Sports and Citizen Leadership Training Centre.

Also to be retained are the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, which is to incorporate the Federal Highways Department of the Federal Ministry of Works and transformed into an “extra-ministerial department”, National Boundary Commission, Border Communities Development Agency and National Merit Award.

Othes are the Debt Management Office, Niger Delta Power Holding Company, National Bureau of Statistics, Centre for Management Development and New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the National Agency for Control of HIV/AIDS.

Abati on Monday described as speculative reports that the government had resolved to scrap some of its agencies and merge others.

Maku had said that the FEC secretariat had been directed to tidy up the draft White Paper with a view to producing a clean copy that will be presented to Nigerians.

But the minister had given an insight into one of the areas where the changes expected might be more pronounced as the research institutes and centres under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Maku had said while some of the research institutes would be scrapped, some others would be placed under existing universities for improved efficiency.

He added that a committee chaired by the Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, was set up to take another look at a section of the Oronsaye report that has to do with research agencies spread across the country.

The idea, according to him, is to bring a report that will rationalise the agencies and ensure that they become more effective and result-driven.

Maku had said, “From what we have done, it is very clear that major decisions will be taken in many of the key sectors to reduce the number of agencies, particularly those that are performing duplicating duties and whose functions overlap.

“For example, there are so many research agencies under the Ministry of Science and Technology and when you look at some of the agencies, some of the functions they perform could indeed be coordinated by universities.”

PUNCH