Sahara Reporters Latest News Thursday 16th May 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 16/05/19
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target=_blank>UPDATE: Zlatan Ibile, Two Others Walk Free As EFCC Hangs On To Naira Marley
After five intense days of griling in detention, Nigerian musician Zlatan Ibile has been temporarily released from Economic and Financial Crimes Comission custody SaharaReporters can confirm.
Reports say he and the two others who were set free are to report to EFCC office everyday for further questioning.
He was released alongside two others who were all arrested on Friday in connection to advance fee fraud popularly called ‘Yahoo Yahoo’.
A source who spoke to SaharaReporters said, the EFCC is holding on to Naira Marley because of some hard evidence found in his laptop.
Another source within the EFCC said Naira Marley might be charged to court in the light of evidence recovered.
More to come…
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target=_blank>Senate Threatens To Shutdown Bet9ja ‘For Non-Remittance Of Dues’ To Nigerian Government
The Senate Committee on Youth and Sports on Tuesday threatened to order the shutdown of Bet9ja office if the company failed to honour its invitation for a second time.
Speaking on the floor of the house during the verification of loto companies with license to operate in Nigeria, Sen. Obinna Ogba (PDP, Ebonyi), Chairman of the Committee, said it was unfortunate that Bet9ja refused to honour the committee’s invitation.
He instructed the clerk of the house to write the popular betting site again, threatening that failure to honour the House’s invitation for the third time will earn the betting site permanent closure.
“Clerk, write to Bet9ja again. If they did not honour our invitation, we will ask the National Lottery Commission to seal their offices,” he said.
According to him, the Senate is making efforts aimed at assisting the Lottery Commission to generate money for the Federal Government.
”We want to see bet9ja. They can’t run away,” he said.
The chairman explained that the verification followed series of complaints against the betting companies, adding that ”some don’t even have offices while others have not been making remittances to the government.”
”Some got the licences but they are not operating. The new regulation only give them one year to start operations,” he noted.
Meanwhile, about 20 other betting companies appeared before the committee for the verification exercise.
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target=_blank>CAUGHT ON TAPE: Full Transcript Detailing Frantic Attempts By CBN Gov. Emefiele, Top CBN Officials To Cover-Up Stolen N500bn Pt2
Following an authentic phone conversation as confirmed by the Central Bank of Nigeria between the governor of the bank, Godwin Emefiele, deputy governor, Edward Lamtek Adamu and Dayo Arowosegbe, special adviser to Emefiele, SaharaReporters presents the full transcript of the second part conversation which details a frantic effort by all involved to cover up missing N500bn which was invested in a private business that flopped.
-Phone Rings-
CBN DEPUTY GOV. EDWARD ADAMU: Hello sir.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: Edward can you please step aside?
CBN DEPUTY GOV. EDWARD ADAMU: Okay sir… – Not clear –
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: I am not too happy that Arowosegbe led us like this.
CBN DEPUTY GOV. EDWARD: In fact, that was what I was asking, I said we have an impression that we had 500 billion, he said no. I said but that was the impression until the end of the year.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: Ahhh! What are we going to do?
CBN DEPUTY GOV. EDWARD: You know… that’s what I told him.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: along we all thought he had that but it was very shocking to hear that apparently, it was not 500 …you know.
CBN DEPUTY GOV. EDWARD: That’s the major issue.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: Ahh! …Ye! I don die now where I go see money.
CBN DEPUTY GOV. EDWARD: What I told them is, let’s look at our income if there is anything we can do around that area, you know, that might be an option.
CBN DEPUTY GOV. EDWARD: Because, now, we are in a very bad situation. He really didn’t give us full information.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: I was like, God, he did a good job, he didn’t pass time he left. How do I handle this?
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: We have to rack our brain and get something out because we can’t afford it at all, not at this time.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: Opposition will say it should have depreciated in the project.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: Opposition will say it should have depreciated in the project.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: …and then foreign investor would not begin to panic and take their money out because they would say it would depreciate.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: Ahhh! ooo!
EDWARD: Exactly, yes. There would be panic in the market and we can’t take this at this stage, at all. We have to get a way out. We are just discussing now in what are the possibilities, what you can do. We will get back to you.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: Hmmn!
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: I’m just getting hopeless about it because I‘m still thinking which way I should go.
CBN DEPUTY GOV. EDWARD: Yes, that is really the task now.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: If there is a place you can find money. Ahhh!
CBN DEPUTY GOV. EDWARD: We’ll have to think of a way out because we cannot afford it at all. The implications are just too many to even think about and damaging. We cannot allow this like this, we cannot.
CBN GOV. EMEFIELE: To avoid any serious problem is just, the government to have to agree to give us at least 100 billion cash but government will not agree. They will kick against it.
CBN DEPUTY GOV. EDWARD: Yes, they will kick against it. Really. That would have been a good one but the challenge is how to get back to them but it will be very difficult, almost impossible.
– Breathes heavily –
CBN GOVERNOR: The implication for the economy is… no no,no. I’m just thinking if there is surplus of one naira, just give us then we’ll begin to refund you in 2019. I can’t even find the partners now because I cannot talk to the real partners like Ayo.Ayo is not picking my call and I’m not used to the CI partener. I don’t’ know him, it’s only Dayo that I know and Dayo has retired. Hmnn… Oh God!
EDWARD: You’ll have to think of something. We really miss. It is a sad one. We’ll have to come out of it somehow. If only we can say there is money here but I can’t find. I kept on disturbing this guy in December and January but he kept telling me no problem. God, this guy just…
CBN GOVERNOR: It’s a mess; it’s really a mess.
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target=_blank>Court Orders Forfeiture Of Gold Bars, N39m, ‘From Gold Dealer, Civil Servant’ To Nigerian Government
The sum of N36 million and 35.58 kilogrammes of gold bars confiscated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) have been forfeited to the Nigerian Government.
The order of forfeiture was given by a Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday.
Justice Muslim S. Hassan, who made the order, also ordered the federal civil servant to pay N10million to the government for his part in the deal.
The first to third defendants are: Bukar Mandara Zarami; his company, Bukar Mandara Zarami Ltd and a Director in the Ministry of Mines and Steel, Kar Nap Fenan Wuyep.
The trio was re-arraigned on an amended two-count charge of possession of 35.58 kilogrammes of gold bars wrapped in six bags without appropriate permit.
The counts read in part: “That you, Bukar Mandara Zarami, on or about the 9th day of November, 2018 in Nigeria…dealt in 35.58 kilogrammes of gold bars wrapped in six bags without appropriate permit; and you, therefore, committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 134(c) of the Nigerian Mineral and Mining Act, 2007.”
“That you, Kar Nap Fenan Wuyep, on or about the 22nd day of May, 2018 in Nigeria, without going through any financial institution, accepted cash payment of the sum of $19,440 from one Bakkkuk Steven Goyol, which sum exceeded the amount authorised by the Law; and, you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1)(a), Section 16(1) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as Amended and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded “guilty”.
In view of their plea, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo obtained leave of court to review the facts of the case.
Oyedepo recounted how first defendant, Zarami was apprehended at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos on November 11, 2018 with 35.58 kilogrammes of gold bars wrapped in six bags.
Oyedepo said: “He (Zarami) was brought to the Lagos Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, where the gold bars were measured and counted in the presence of the first defendant, his counsel, a representative of the Ministry of Mines and Steel. All parties present signed the measurements document.”
He told the court that investigations revealed that the first and second defendants did not have the appropriate permit to possess or deal in 35.58kg of gold.
Oyedepo said although the first defendant, in his statement to the EFCC, stated that he gave an official of the Ministry, Steven Bakkuk, about N3, 000,000 (Three Million Naira) as royalty, investigation showed that the actual amount he was supposed to pay as royalty was N6,772,64,16.
According to Oyedepo: “This shows clearly that there was no appropriate permit for that quantity of gold bars.
“Investigation further revealed that instead of the official from the Ministry, who received the money from the first defendant, to put the funds in the treasury, he transferred the sum of N700,000 to the third defendant, who is a Director in the Ministry of Mines and Steel.
“This led to further investigation into the account of Bakkuk, whose account was used for transfers of unlawful enrichment.
“It was discovered that about N28m in tranches was sent to the third defendant.
“On May 22, 2018, the sum of $19,440 in cash was given to the third defendant, which is in excess of the amount authorized by Law to be received in cash and it constitutes an offence against the Money Laundering Act 2011.”
The prosecution informed the court further that the defendants had entered a plea bargain with the government.
He said: “The first defendant has issued a cheque of N3,000,000 in favour of the Federal Government as one of the terms agreed upon in the plea bargain.
“The first defendant, as part of the plea bargain, also agreed to forfeit the undeclared 5.5 kilogrammes of Gold Bars to the Federal Government.
“It was also agreed that the EFCC, in conjunction with the Deputy Chief Registrar of this Honourable Court, would facilitate the sale of the forfeited Gold Bars and the proceeds will be remitted into the Consolidated Revenue Funds Account of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Third defendant, in the plea bargain, agreed to pay a fine of N10million and forfeit the recovered Access Bank drafts to the tune of N36million.”
In view of their guilty plea, Oyedepo prayed the court to convict the defendants on the amended charge and prayed the court to sentence them to the terms agreed in the plea bargain.
Justice Hassan, upheld the terms of the plea bargain and convicted the defendants.
The judge held: “The plea bargain is made the judgment of the court.”
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target=_blank>400-Level University Of Nigeria Nsukka Student Commits Suicide
Chukwuemeka Akachi, a 400-level student of the Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN) has committed suicide.
It was gathered that the deceased carried out the suicide in the solitude of an uncompleted building located at Sullivan Road, Nsukka where he allegedly slipped into coma after taking two bottles of ‘Sniper’ an insecticide.
His unconscious body was however discovered by passersby.
However, according to a source all efforts by the passersby, who rushed him to UNN Federal Medical Centre to revive him, turned futile as he was declared dead at the hospital.
A close friend of Akachi who preffered anonymity said Akachi posted a suicide note on his Facebook wall shortly before he committed suicide.
The suicide note reads: “Forgive me. In case you are the one who found the body, I am really sorry. It had to be someone you know.
“I have chosen Jo Nketaih’s poem as my suicide note: “They said you came looking for me. I don’t drown, I was the water,
“Where do atheists go when they die! Lol. Amen.”
Also, Akachi was said to have posted on his Facebook on May 12 that “My mental health has been on life support for a while now. Thanks to those who call. Text. Visit.
“Speak to me. May we always remember. May we never forget. You May have added a few hours, months or days to my time here. But you know life support is expensive right?
“Thank you for trying. Amen.”
A senior security personnel in UNN Security Department, who pleaded anonymity, also confirmed the incident, adding that the report was brought to them on Monday morning.
He said this was not the first time Akachi wanted to commit suicide, adding that on two occasions, he had drunk kerosene and petrol to kill himself but was rescued.
“But on Monday he drank Sniper and was rushed to UNN Medical Centre first, but was later moved to UNTH Enugu, where he was confirmed dead.
Akachi was said to be budding poet.
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target=_blank>APGA Kicks Out Bianca Ojukwu, Obiano From Board Of Trustees
Bianca Ojukwu, former Nigerian ambassador to Spain and governor of Anambra state, Willie Obiano have been removed from board of trustees of the All Progressives Grand Alliance. The National Executive Council made the decision on Tuesday in Awka upon expiration of their tenure with the board.The party thereafter decided on May 31 to hold its national National convention.APGA also announced the Ward and Local Government Congresses of the party would hold on the 19th and 21st of May.
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target=_blank>If Leah Sharibu Was Zahra Buhari, Would She Still Be In Captivity? By Fredrick Nwabufo
Fredrick Nwabufo
Fredrick Nwabufo
A man, with bloodied “babariga” and with head cocked down, perched emotionlessly in the driver’s seat of a Land Cruiser jeep at Kurmin Kare village along Kaduna-Abuja express way in the searing afternoon of April 29. He was the driver of Mohammed Abubakar, chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). He was nameless, and he suffered the most terrible fate. He was the first casualty of the kidnappers, who abducted his employer and daughter.
But Abubakar and his daughter regained freedom less than 24 hours after their abduction. Though they had paid a heavy ransom to secure their lives. The police had also launched a manhunt for the kidnappers immediately, arresting one suspect a day after. With that incident, I think, the daily tragedy on Kaduna-Abuja express way hit home; it became uncomfortably obvious for the elite going by the frantic efforts that followed after.
Really, with the elite, there is always a sense of urgency when their security, money or power is threatened. It is the reason the areas where they cluster are far more secure than where the proletariat inhabit. A security incident in Asokoro or Ikoyi will ordinarily receive more attention than any incident of the same magnitude in Mararaba or Iyana Ipaja. I believe, this is “apartheid”; a deep social inequity that accents the reluctance and lethargy of the authorities on matters affecting the common folk.
And I think the plausible reason there is no sense of urgency in the rescue of Leah Sharibu is she comes from the wrong social divide. In April 2018, Leah sent out a message of despair; a desperate call for help. She said: “I am Leah Sharibu, the girl that was abducted in GGSS Dapchi. I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation.”
“I also plead to the members of the public to help my mother, father, my younger brother and relatives. Kindly help me out of my predicament. I am begging you to treat me with compassion. I am calling on the government, particularly the president to pity me and get me out of this serious situation.”
This message still crucifies the man in me. And 12 months have passed, but Leah is still in the pit of vipers. How does the president sleep at night knowing that this young girl huddles in the encampment of the second most dangerous terror group in the world? How do the service chiefs even carry on in silence, without a word on the rescue effort for this Daniel?
And she specifically mentioned the president, asking him to “pity” her. I want to imagine Leah as the president’s daughter sending out this pathos-inducing message, what would the president have done? Would he not have applied his power as the commander-in-chief and deploy every contact and resources until she is rescued? I am positive she would not have spent two years in captivity.
Leah is in captivity because of her faith. This makes it more tragic. And the lack of a sense of urgency in her rescue also raises suggestions that border on her faith.
And would she still be in captivity if she was Zahra Buhari? I do not think so.
Fredrick is a media personality.
Twitter: @FredrickNwabufo
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target=_blank>Grace Mugabe To Face Court For Attacking Former Staff Who Accepted Wedding Gift From Robert Mugabe
Wife of disposed Zimbabwean leader, Robert Mugabe has been sued for attacking a domestic staff in 2017.Grace Mugabe, who faces arrest is also accused of attacking a model who was dating her son in South Africa last year.The victim, Shupikai Chiroodza allege that Mugabe used her fists and then her shoe in a prolonged attack that left Chiroodza’s face bleeding profusely. According to the AFP, Mugabe allegedly attacked Chiroodza after accusing her of “milking” her husband because she had accepted a cash wedding gift from him, the papers say.Grace Mugabe later ordered her to return the money.Chiroodza said “She started beating me with clenched fists shouting, ‘Who do you think you are? You are milking my husband behind my back’,” Chiroodza said in her court application.“I was terrified. She removed her shoe and continued assaulting me with it and blood started gushing out of my forehead, mouth and nose. The assault continued for about 20 minutes.”
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target=_blank>Absence Of EFCC Lawyer Stall Fayose’s Trial
A Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on Tuesday adjourned the case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and his company, Spotless Ltd.
Mojisola Olatoregun, the judge, was forced to call for adjournment due to the absence of the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs.
Rotimi Jacobs had asked for adjournment at the last court proceedings in a bid to bide his time so as to determine whether one of its witnesses in the matter, Adewale Aladegbola, a driver with Zenith Bank branch in Ado-Ekiti, would be declared hostile to enable the prosecution to make necessary applications before the court.
He, however, hinged his absence from the court on a presentation at a conference on the Administration of Criminal Justice Law organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice which coincided with the time of the court proceeding but the court told him that since the adjournment was granted at his instance, he would have to make some sacrifices by being in court.
When the matter was called for the commencement of proceedings on Tuesday at 1 p.m, the prosecuting counsel was still absent from court.
The counsels to the defendants, Ola Olaonipekun and Olawale Ojo, asked the judge to stand down the matter for an hour to enable the prosecution get to court from his earlier engagement.
However, after an hour and half of standing down the matter, the judge eventually adjourned the case to May 21 at 11 a.m.
The fraud case against Mr Fayose and his company entered trial since November last year.
The accused are facing an 11-count charge of conspiracy and laundering of N6.9billion.
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‘Not Everybody With Tattoo, Dreadlocks Is Cultist’, Says Lagos Police Commissioner
Zubairu Muazu, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, has warned its officers to desist from arresting anyone on the basis of having dreadlocks or tattoos.
Muazu, who was speaking at an event in Lagos, also said the Nigeria Police Force is constantly training and re-training officers to ensure every personnel actions is within the confines of the law.
He said: “We have been sensitizing and talking to our police officers that not everybody you see on dreadlock is a cultist. Some are born with dreadlocks.
“If I feel like tattooing my hand, why not, I have the right to do that. Not everybody you see with tattoo is a cultist.
“We are working hard on that. I am sure if you’ve noticed the trends of recent, such nasty arrests are no more going on in Lagos state and we will continue to do so”
Video of Not Everybody With Tattoo, Dreadlocks Is Cultist, Says Lagos Police Commissioner
Not Everybody With Tattoo, Dreadlocks Is Cultist, Says Lagos Police Commissioner
Not Everybody With Tattoo, Dreadlocks Is Cultist, Says Lagos Police Commissioner
Muazu who also commented on rape and sexual assault by the Police said all security stakeholders and Nigerians should join the force in putting an end to it, as it is a societal issue.
“I believe it’s a societal issue and we all have to come together. What the police during cases like this is always reactionary.
“The family and society and everybody should work towards that to come up with a way forward on this issue.
“We need your assistance and cooperation to ensure that we get the Nigeria Police Force out of this mess that is in now.”
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