el-Rufai has case to answer, EFCC tells court

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, told an Abuja High Court that the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nasir el-Rufai, has case to answer in court.
This is just as it asked the court to strike out the no-case applications brought by el-Rufai and two of his co-accused seeking to quash a case of abuse of office brought against them by the anti graft agency.
Others charged alongside el-Rufai were Altine Jibrin, former Director-General of the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and its former General Manager, Ismail Iro.
They were charged for illegal conversion of Plot 1201, a land meant for the building of a transmitting/injection sub-station for the PHCN in Asokoro.
They were also alleged to have conspired and converted Plot 3352 in Maitama, belonging to NIPOST, originally earmarked for the building of a district post office.
When the matter came up on Wednesday, counsel for EFCC, Adebayo Adelodun, prayed the court to discountenance the application of no case submission by the accused persons and urged it to order them to file their defence.
According to him, “running through the entirety of the written address as well as the adumbration, it is a misconception on the part of the defence to suggest we have to prove anything at this stage.
“This stage is whether a prima facie case has been made out and not to prove any ingredient of offences alleged.
“All that we are required to do at this stage is to link the accused persons with the charges, however tangible or remote.”
He urged  the court to note that the commission had placed before it all documentary and oral evidences which include the accused persons’ statements.
On the argument by the defence that prosecution did not produce the masterplan, Adelodun contented that prosecution needed not produce such because its existence was never in doubt and had been admitted by the statement of the first accused.
Earlier, counsel for the defence, Kanu Agabi and Akin Olujimi, had given various reasons while the charges must be quashed.
They said the prosecution had not proved any of the charges and that the evidence led were manifestly unreliable or discredited in cross–examination.
They further argued that the allegation that the plots in contention were originally allocated to PHCN and NIPOST in the Abuja Masterplan had been discredited by failure to produce the masterplan and that plots were neither enumerated nor allocated in the masterplan.
The trial judge, Justice Sadiq Abubakar, later reserved ruling on the application.
TRIBUNE

Suspect swallows ID card to destroy evidence* cultists arrested

Juliana Francis

 Police detectives were shocked when a fake policeman who was arrested at the Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos State, swallowed the fake police identity card in his possession, in order to destroy all evidences of his parading himself as a genuine policeman.

 The Deputy Police spokesman, Damasus Ozoani, explained that the 28-year-old suspect had been parading himself before members of the public as a police constable.

The suspect was putting on Man-O-War uniform with police badge on the shoulders.

Ozoani said: ``He has been parading himself as genuine police Constable. He put on Man O war uniform with Mopol 20 police badge on his shoulders. Some police officers detected this and arrested him.

“As soon as he was arrested, he swallowed the fake police identity card he was holding. He confessed he was a security guard in one hotel at Omole Estate.

``He claimed that he bought the police badge from an undisclosed person he met in a beer parlour.’’

Paraded along with the fake police constable were three others.

Ozoani said that the three other suspects were arrested for allegedly involving in cult activities in Epe area of Lagos, where dangerous weapons were freely used during a fight between two rival groups.

Ozoani said that one of the suspects, a National Diploma 2 Business Administration student from the Lagos State Polytechnic, allegedly claimed to belong to Black Axe confraternity.

He said that the Black Axe group had a clash with Eiye confraternity at Asarodeen area of Epe over an undisclosed matter.

The spokesman said that two live cartridges were recovered from the suspects, while others escaped. Injuries, suspected to be machete cuts were seen on the bodies of one of the suspects.

 The police are also on the trail of scores of members of Eiye and Aiye confraternities, whose members had on several occasions clashed, leading to death of innocent people.

The arrested suspects include:  Oluwaseyi Adewunmi, Borokinni Idowu and Olasote Olawale, who were all arrested after a deadly clash around Ansar Ud Deen School in Epe on the 20^th of September 2013.

Ozoani added that the arrest of the suspects followed a clampdown on cult activities in the state.

It also gathered that policemen from the Epe divisional police station, while responding to a distress call of a clash between two rival cult groups arrested the trio of Olwaseyi, Idowu and Olawale.

Olasote Olawale, confessed to being a cult member, but insisted he was not among those that fought.

Olawale, who claimed to be a member of Aiye Fraternity blamed member of the rival group, Eiye, for most of the troubles and clashes in the Epe area of the state.

One shot, officer beaten to coma as police, bike riders clash

Juliana Francis

One person was shot and many others injured yesterday after policemen and commercial motorcycle riders clashed at the Idi Araba area of Mushin, Lagos State.

Fighting between the commercial bike riders and policemen started after policemen went to the area to effect the traffic law.

Many policemen and bike riders were said to have sustained varying degree of injuries in the battle which lasted for almost an hour. One of the policemen was beaten until he lost consciousness.

An eye witness explained that the policemen impounded some motorcycles for riding on the double carriage road but the bike riders allegedly resisted arrest.

The bike riders were further alleged to have ganged up on the policemen and given them the beating of their lives.

As soon as they policemen escaped from the irate bike riders, they dashed to the nearest police station and equally reported at Area D Command, Mushin, frantically calling for re-enforcement.

Encouraged by the presence of more policemen, the police went to the scene, shooting sporadically.

Another witness said that it was in the course of the sporadic shooting, that a bullet hit one the people in the area. The wounded victim was immediately rushed to the hospital.

Protesters at EFCC: Demands investigations of Minister of Petroleum

Juliana Francis
The group, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders(CACOL), with hundreds of their supporters, today, marched to the office of the  Economic and Financial Crime Commission(EFCC) in Lagos, demanding that the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke should be investigated.

The group and supporters stormed the office of EFCC around 9.45am, and were barred from entering the premises, but later reluctantly allowed in after several anti-corruption songs.
The Executive Chairman of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adediran submitted a three-page petition to the Lagos Head of Operations, EFCC, Mr. Ilyasu Kwarbi.
Adediran demanded in his petition that EFCC should investigate the alleged deal between the minister and other oil companies as well as the rate of oil thefts which had occurred during her stay in office her tenure among others.

 Adediran said: "We call on the commission to urgently commence a probe into various allegations of corrupt practices levelled against the person of the minister of petroleum; such allegations which include abuse of office, wastage of nation's resources among others.”
He said that the coalition refused to believe that there existed any clique of the 'untouchables' to which she might probably belonged, adding “This is why we are joining our voices to others to demand that the commission commence without delay, the process of probing the office of the minister, beaming their investigative searchlight on those areas of her activities."
He wanted the EFCC to be objective in its investigation, adding that was the only way the country could move forward.
Adedira maintained that CACOL as a group of organizations with the objective of fighting corruption and corrupt persons at all level would not want, or encourage anyone to jump into any conclusion on any allegation without availing those alleged the opportunity to defend themselves.

According to him, CACOL had not concluded that the alleged is either guilty or innocent. However CACOL had reasons to believe that the matter was on the verge of being swept under the carpet, especially judging by various political manoeuvrings noticeable among the ruling elite in the country and their political allies. Kwarbai assured that the commission would look into the allegations in accordance with the law.
Kwarbai said:  "I appreciate your peaceful coordination. We don't fear anybody or organisation but you should know that when allegations are brought, we need evidences for defence in the law court. We don't sweep petitions under the carpet, we treat them and you should know that we receive petitions everyday and they have to be sorted one after the other. I will forward the petition to the chairman for approval. Our integrity matter to us and we have put structures in place to ensure that."

Police arrest dumb crooks in Lagos with N9m

Juliana Francis
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two dumb crooks, who went to Sterling bank Ketu branch, to cash N9 million ransom.
The two suspects, Lucky Momodu and Saheed Adekoya, described as the latest clowns in town, were said to have allowed the kidnapped victim to go home immediately they received bank alert that his worried family members had paid the ransom into a designated account given to them by the kidnappers.
Days after the victim, Chief Michael Okigbo was allowed to go, the kidnappers had waltzed into Ketu branch of the Sterling bank to cash the money and were promptly surrounded by policemen.
It was gathered that Okigbo was kidnapped at Asaba, Delta State, while he was driving away from a party he had just attended.
He was kidnapped on the way and bundled to the kidnappers’ hideout in Asaba.
The kidnappers were said to have scared the living daylight out of the man, who promptly gave them the contact phone numbers of his family.
Negotiation for Okigbo’s released started and the ransom was finally agreed at N9 million.
It was gathered that immediately Okigbo was released, he alerted the police, which alerted the bank officials.
 A red alert was placed the bank account. As soon as Adekoya came to cash the money, he was arrested. It was through him that Momodu was arrested, but police are still hunting for a third kidnapper.
Adekoya however insisted that he was not part of those who kidnapped Okigbo.
According to him, Momodu called him some days ago, saying that he was about to embark on a new business and needed a current account to deposit some millions into.
Adekoya, who claimed that he was in Lagos, when Momodu called him from Delta State, said he had given his bank account details to Momodu, unaware the guy was into nefarious activities.
He further explained that he went to cash the money, on Momodu’s instruction, when policemen arrested him at the bank.
The account number is 27469756910 and the name of the holder is Supreme Aluminium and Steel Company, belonging to Adekoya.
It was also gathered that the arrest of the kidnappers would not have been possible, but for the intervention of the Divisional Police Officer(DPO) of Ketu Police Station, a Superintendent of Police(SP) Mr. Umaro Justine, who strategized with his men, the victim’s family and bank officials on how to nab the suspects.

Pardoned prison inmate re-arrested for armed robbery

Ojo

The police in Lagos State have arrested a 22-year-old man, Musa Ojo, for armed robbery.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect was among the prison inmates recently pardoned by the state government in pursuant to the provisions of Section 1(1) of the Criminal Justice Release from Custody Special Provision Act, CAP C40, 2007, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

It was learnt that a few weeks after his release, the suspect, who goes by the pseudonym, Agba Musa, and two others at large, on September 14, 2013, snatched a Toyota Corolla car marked LSR 587 AR.

Our correspondent learnt that operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, who were on patrol duty at the Ijesha end of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, sighted the robbers and chased them.

Police said when the heat became too much for the robbers, they jumped out of the vehicle and took to their heels.

Musa was, however, arrested by SARS men and the vehicle was recovered, while the other two escaped.

Speaking with our correspondent at the state command headquarters in Ikeja, the suspect said it was not his initial plan to become an armed robber.

He said, “Initially, I did not want to be an armed robber. I lived in Ebute Meta and I owned a motorcycle. Two of my friends told me to give them a ride to Aguda, Surulere. On getting there, they brought out guns and started robbing people. I swear I did not know that they were going for an operation. That was how I joined them.

“I ended up following them for 10 robbery operations. We usually operated in Onike, Yaba, Bariga and Somolu, where we robbed small shops. Later, we started snatching vehicles such as Toyota and Honda and we would give a dealer to sell. My share was always N50,000.

“My gang comprised myself, Kehinde Nice, Asumo and Nuru. The police arrested Asumo and I, while Nuru was killed. Kehinde is still on the run.”

The suspect said after spending one and a half years in prison, he and about 80 others were pardoned.

He said he went back  to robbery because he was tempted by bad friends and needed money to survive.

While crying profusely, he said, “I dropped out of school in JSS2 and became an apprentice at a mechanic workshop but I did not finish my training.

“After sometime, I got a girl pregnant and became a father with responsibilities. Unfortunately, my father is late and my mother is old, so I have no one to help me.

“After leaving prison, I started receiving calls from people that they needed vehicles and I was short of money. So, I thought to myself that if I could steal just one car, I would be alright. I did not know that police had been on my trail from the day I was released.”

The Oyo State indigene asked the police to give him one more chance, promising that he would not return to his old ways.

“I never killed anyone during my robberies, please. If they can spare me one last time, I will be grateful,” he said.

Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Damasus Ozoani, said the suspect would be charged to court for armed robbery.

PUNCH

National conference committee: Nwabueze, Okurounmu, 11 others named members

Nwabueze

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the membership and terms of reference of the Federal Government’s Advisory Committee on National Dialogue/ Conference.

A terse statement  on Tuesday night in Abuja by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, named a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, as one of the 13 members of the  committee headed by Senator Femi Okurounmu.

Others are  Dr. Akilu Indabawa,Secretary; a former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof. George Obiozor; Senator Khairat Gwadabe; Senator Timothy Adudu, Col. Tony Nyiam (retd), Prof. Funke Adebayo,  Dr.  Mairo  Amshi,  Dr. Abubakar Sadiq, Alhaji Dauda Birma, Mallam Buhari Bello and Mr. Tony Uranta.

The committee which has one month  within which to conclude its assignment, will be inaugurated by Jonathan  at the State House on   October 7.

The committee’s terms of reference are:  consult expeditiously with all relevant stakeholders with a view to drawing up a feasible agenda for the proposed national dialogue/conference;   make recommendations to government on structure and modalities for the proposed national dialogue/conference;  and  make recommendations on how representation of various interest groups at the national dialogue/conference will be determined.

It is also to   advise the government on a time frame for the national dialogue/conference;  its  legal framework,   legal procedures and options for integrating decisions and outcomes of the national   conference into the constitution; and advise the government on    any other matters that may be related or incidental to the  conference.

Jonathan had in his Independence Day broadcast on Tuesday,  said he decided to set up  the  advisory committee   to establish the modalities for the  national dialogue or conference.

 “I expect the report to be ready in one month, following which the nation will be briefed on the nomenclature, structure and modalities of the dialogue/ conference,” he had  added.

The announcement was well received by the  pan-northern socio-cultural organisation , the Arewa Consultative Forum,  the  Afenifere,  Ohanaeze Ndigbo,   the Ijaw National Congress and the two Peoples Democratic Party factions.

Although the Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the INC and the PDP factions  in their separate reactions did not give conditions for  supporting  dialogue, the ACF did.

The ACF advised  against the dialogue taking the  form of a  Sovereign National Conference.

The  ACF  National Publicity Secretary,   Mr. Anthony Sani, told  one of our correspondents in Kaduna,   that an SNC would  amount to a vote of no confidence in  the nation’s democracy and its institutions.

He added that the  forum  had nothing  much to say at “this formative stage of the committee  until when the name, content, shape and scope of the dialogue are  made public.”

Sani said,  “When I am asked to react to Mr President’s decision to set up a committee on how to organise a national dialogue as to the appropriate name, scope, content and direction, I begin to wonder what to say.

“You would note that ACF has made it clear that it is not opposed to a national dialogue so long as the aim is to strengthen the unity and  diversity of this country, since the concept of nationhood presupposes that the people can come together and unleash their synergy by living up to collective challenges for public good, provided such a dialogue is not in the form of SNC  that amounts to  a vote of no confidence in our democracy and its institutions, which no group has the right to do.”

Both  Afenifere  and Ohanaeze  Ndigbo said  they were ready to make submissions to the committee once invited.

  Afenifere advised that  the proposed national dialogue should focus on true federalism so that the issue of  allocation of the country’s resources  could be well  tackled.

Its Secretary,  Chief Seinde Arogbofa, in an interview with one of our correspondents,  said, “We don’t have to pre-empt the terms of reference of the committee. We must appreciate the head of state for allowing Nigerians to talk about our problems.

“We should be talking about issues of security, youth unemployment and the right structure. We believe that with a true federal system, all other things will automatically fall into place. The issue of resources will be taken care of if we have the right federal structure.”

  The Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, told one of our correspondents   that   “all peace-loving Nigerians must commend”  Jonathan for the initiative.

 He said, “He has pulled Nigeria back from the brink. Jonathan has saved Nigeria by choosing a forum for talking rather than shooting. It is a welcome deviation from the past when former Presidents were foot-dragging on the issue.

 “Let us restart our association envisaged in the 1914 amalgamation statement. Let us kick- start the system so that all Nigerians can very truthfully say they are Nigerians.”

 The Ohanaeze secretary general said the  national conference  would  “ bring an end to the abracadabra  in the country since 1966,” since it would give the  people  the opportunity to  “discuss and say how we are to relate with one another.”

Also, the INC advised that the national conference should be used as an opportunity to discuss all the problems affecting the unity of the country.

The spokesman  for the congress,   Mr. Victor Borubo,  said there should be no limitations to what should be discussed when  the national dialogue   eventually holds.

He said that resource control, devolution of power, structure of the country and issues on the  Exclusive and Residual lists  should  be among the  things  that should be discussed at the conference.

 Borubo added, “There should be no limitation to what should be discussed at the conference as we expect those to represent Nigerians to discuss devolution of power, structure of the country, resource control and issues on the exclusive and residual list.

The  NLC, through its    Secretary-General, Mr. Chris Uyot, said,    “We applaud the President  for seeing the need for a conference because we believe in participatory and inclusive government.

“Any form of dialogue or discussion points to a positive and an inclusive government and we support it. We think it is a good idea which should be encouraged.”

Also, the  Bamanga Tukur-led  PDP  said  the  President had through the decision  demonstrated that he derived his mandate from Nigerians.

It  hailed the President for anchoring the theme of  the  independence  day broadcast on the road map to a secure future for the nation, which it said was not only unique  but  an eloquent expression of his determination to bequeath a transformed Nigeria.

The party, in  a statement by  its  National Publicity Secretary  , Chief Olisa Metuh,   said by taking a definite stand on  national dialogue and setting up a committee led by Sen. Femi Okurounmu to fashion out the structure and modalities for the conference, the President has shown he is a listening leader.

The statement reads in part, “Nigerians listened to their President as he humbly relegated accomplishments and beating of the chest. We saw the President assuming the place of an ordinary Nigerian, in his pains, fears and uncertainty about the future.  This is very commendable.

“We are pleased that the President listens and leaves Nigerians in no doubt that their opinions matter.

Also, the New PDP led by Alhaji Abubakar Baraje,  said there should no-go areas in the work of the committee.

Its  National Publicity Secretary, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze,  in an email to one of our correspondents,   said, “We see the clamour for a national dialogue as timely and appropriate as there is an urgent need for Nigerians to come together and discuss matters affecting them as well as the way forward.

“We, therefore, welcome Mr. President’s announcement in his Independence Day broadcast about the establishment of a committee to advise him on the modalities for the holding of the conference,” the New PDP said.

PUNCH