Crime Facts

Niger Governor Condemns Restructuring

• Promises tax incentives, others to investors As Niger Delta governors continue to push for resource control, their counterparts in the northern region believe current structure, which confers ownership of all natural resources on the Federal Government’s and prescribes the allocation of 13 per cent derivation is most suitable for Nigeria. Speaking with select editors at the Government House in Lafia, Nasarawa State Capital, Governor Abdullahi Sule, reiterated that he will not support any move toward resource control, while responding to whether he will support a bill to that effect. He said: “Nasarawa State will not be at the forefront of encouraging the Federal Government to relinquish its ownership of minerals for the states to take ownership. Nasarawa State will not do that. We believe very strongly that it would be disadvantageous to the interest of the nation for Nasarawa State to push for such a move that states should take control, and that is what they call resource control, and Nasarawa State will not be at the forefront of resource control.” Rather than resource control, Sule advised state governors to push for local content development for their respective resources, which would impact Nigerians and the economy more. He argued that it was selfish for governors to want to control the natural resources in their domain, saying: “If for our own selfish interest we say: yes, we push for resource control, then how would our neighbours survive? That is the reason why the Federal Government needs to keep the ownership. “Nasarawa State believes in local content development and local participation and that is what we are trying to drive when it comes to that aspect. And the reason why it (resource control) is bad is because Nigeria is endowed with mineral resources, but they are not in every state. So, if we allow the states, because Nasarawa also has some oil deposits by the way, and so far it has been certified that it is of commercial quantity, and all the minerals you have mentioned. If Nasarawa would say that, how about other states like Taraba, Plateau, and Benue that probably don’t have that, how would they gain?” As a result, Sule insisted that “It’s better to continue with the federal allocation. Already, the Federal Government is doing a lot by saying there is 13 per cent derivation for the states. Whatever comes from the minerals in your own state, you get the 13 per cent derivation, and that is the reason why today, some of the states, their federal allocation could be as much as N20 billion, and the other states would be as low as N3 billion, because they don’t have the minerals. Those are the kinds of things that I believe we can do. Now, you mentioned the various ones that we have, and I strongly agree with you that we should try as much as possible to develop them, which was why I told you I am participating in the local content seminar, that way, Nigerians should have ownership.” Meanwhile, the governor has promised investors of many incentives, including tax holidays for investing in Nasarawa State. He also assured them of adequate return on their investments. Given his background of coming from the private sector, having resigned as the Managing Director of Dangote Sugar Refinery, Sule said: “I come from that background, and understand that background, and would not make life very difficult for an investor. I would make life easy for an investor. I would not allow any investor to stay that number of years without making money. We would find a way for him to make his money, because it is only when he makes his money that we would make our money.” In regards to the tax holidays, he said his government is willing to negotiate on agreeable terms with investors based on the investment proposals in terms of: “What kind of employment are you going to generate? What kind of corporate social responsibility (CSR) are you providing to the people? In your business plan, you don’t have to tell us your profit; we don’t need to know the exact money, just give us an idea. Then how are you going to affect the environment? What kind of pollution would be there and how would the people be affected.” He added: “We tell the investors that we know what we are doing, and we tell them that definitely we are interested in their return on investments. If the investors understand that you understand them, and that you are willing to work with them, I think that is an attraction for investments and that’s what we have been doing. We have been able to attract few investments so far, and we believe that we would attract a lot more by the time they know directly where we are going. Recently, I saw on the news the five states that have the highest foreign direct investments, and we were lucky Nasarawa was one of the states that were mentioned. Indeed, we are working to see that we attract some of these investments by providing the investors with what they need because we know what they need.”

Attack on police officers in Sokoto will be addressed – AIG

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 10, Mr Muhammad Mustapha, says the attack on Gidan Madi Police Division in Tangaza Local Government area of Sokoto State by bandits will not be left unaddressed. Mustapha, who is in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, stated this when he led a delegation of police top brass to condole with the family of the deceased Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Aliyu Abubakar, in Sokoto. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abubakar, and another officer, Insp. Muhammad Abdullahi, attached to the division in Tangaza council area, were, on Thursday, shot dead by unknown gunmen, who invaded the town and engaged the police in a gun battle. The AIG commiserated with the deceased’s family and, in a statement issued by the Police Command Spokesman in the state, ASP Muhammad Sadiq, urged them to be strong. “The deceased was a seasoned police officer who was truly professional. The impact of the loss is felt by the force and it shall not be left unaddressed,” Mustapha said. Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police in Sokoto State, Mr Ibrahim Kaoje, expressed regret over the killing of the officers, describing it as unfortunate. He reiterated the command’s avowed commitment to bringing perpetrators of the dastardly act to book. “On behalf of the command, I regret the unfortunate demise of our officers. “The deceased were very gallant, hard-working and vibrant officers who dutifully and meritoriously served the force,” Kaoje said. Speaking on behalf of the deceased’s family, Malam Tukur Bawa, a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and uncle to the late DPO, thanked the delegation and the entire police family for the concern shown to them.

Killings: Live as brothers, Buhari urges Kaduna indigenes

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday , urged indigenes of Kaduna State to learn to live as brothers and sisters. According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity , Femi Adesina , the President made the call at the virtual opening of the fifth Kaduna Economic and Investment Summit, with the theme ‘ KADInvest 5. 0, Infrastructure , Industrialisation and Innovation. ’ Adesina ’ s statement was titled “ Let ’ s live as brothers and sisters because without peace , development cannot take place , President Buhari tells Kaduna indigenes” . The President ’ s call came at a time parts of the state, especially Southern Kaduna , are witnessing bloody clashes that have left many dead while others have been injured or rendered homeless . He called on the indigenes to cooperate with government and security agencies to secure peace and harmony. According to him , it is only in the atmosphere of peace that development can take place . “ We must live together as brothers and sisters because , without peace , development cannot take place , ” the President said . Buhari was also quoted as commending the state government for making the state attractive to investors . He urged the government to sustain the tempo and surpass its current record. He said , “ I wish to commend the efforts of the Kaduna State Government to establish its credentials as one of the new investment destinations of choice in Nigeria . “ These efforts have received just recognition in the response of the business community which has put in new investments in the state. “ This is a further affirmation of the ranking of the state as Number One for Ease of Doing Business by the World Bank ’ s Doing Business Report 2018. “ I call on the Kaduna State Government to keep up these laudable efforts and surpass the impressive results already attained . ” The President further noted that the success of state governments in attracting investments, creating jobs , and increasing their internally generated revenues would be critical to the development of the entire country. “ I am impressed that the Kaduna State Government has from inception used KADInvest as a serious platform for showcasing its investment potentials . “ The state’ s commitment to consistent implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Charter is exemplary , including its ability to increase its Internally Generated Revenue to N 44bn in 2019 from N 13bn in 2015 without hiking tax rates. This is very laudable , ” Buhari added . The President congratulated the Kaduna State government for making KADInvest a regular fixture on the investment calendar, held annually since 2016. Buhari promised that the Federal Government will continue to support efforts to attract job -creating investments.

Court remands man over alleged defilement of his 9-year-old sister-in-law

A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Iseyin, Oyo State on Monday ordered that a 44-year-old man, Stephen Mark, who allegedly defiled his nine-year-old sister-in-law, be remanded in a correctional centre. Delivering his ruling, Chief Magistrate Maaruff Mudashiru , ordered the defendant to engage the services of a lawyer. Mudashiru adjourned the matter until Oct 19, for hearing. Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp. Shaib Shedrack told the Court that the defendant committed the offence in the Koso area of Iseyin metropolis, within the court’s jurisdiction on Sept 9. Shedrack alleged that the defendant defiled his nine-year-old sister-in-law, when his wife went to the market. The offence, he said, is punishable under the provisions of Section 222, Paragraph 2, C 38, of the Criminal Code Laws of the Federation 2004. After the charge was read to him, the defendant who was not represented by any counsel, pleaded not guilty.

Buhari holds closed-door meeting with Ghanaian president

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday night met behind closed doors with President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Bashir Ahmad, the President’s Personal Assistant on New Media, confirmed this on his Twitter handle. The presidential aide, who could not elaborate on the agenda of the meeting between the two leaders, however, posted pictures in which the Nigerian leader could be seen escorting his guest after the meeting. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the closure of shops owned by Nigerian traders in Ghana had heightened tensions between the two countries. The situation which led the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama to summon Ghana’s Charge d Affaires to Nigeria, Ms Iva Denoo for discussions. Onyeama had also met with representatives of Nigerian traders in Ghana, led by Jasper Emenike, the National President of Progressive Ambassadors of Nigeria (PAN), and the organisation’s National Director, Ruth Ango over the matter. The Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, had also visited Ghana on Sept. 2 with a view to seeing how the issues at stake could be resolved amicably. According to the speaker, the closure of the Nigerian shops in Ghana contravenes the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol on free movement of citizens of member states, and trade liberalisation scheme. NAN reports that the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) adopted in 1979 with an agreement on agricultural, artisanal handicrafts, and unprocessed products, and extended to industrial products in 1990, is the main framework for trade and market integration in ECOWAS The agreement addresses protocols on the free movement of goods, persons, and transportation. The scheme’s main pursuit of consolidating the free trade area is guided by the National Approval Committee that informs the member states. Similarly, Article (3) of the Revised Treaty of ECOWAS on trade and market integration stipulates the removal of trade barriers and harmonisation of trade policies for the establishment of a Free Trade Area, a Customs Union, a Common Market and an eventual culmination in to a Monetary and Economic Union in West Africa. NAN further reports that the Ghanaian government had proposed a meeting between the two leaders prior to the one they held behind closed doors on Sunday. (NAN)

El-Rufai: Opinion polls showed APC will win Edo election, I don’t know what happened

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai on Monday suggested he was surprised at the loss of the All Progressive Congress in the recently concluded Edo State Governorship Election. The Governor said three weeks to the election, polls indicated that the APC was set to win. However, on Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared incumbent Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the election and Governor of the state for the next four years. “We would have loved to win,” El-Rufai said, during an interview on Sunrise Daily. “Quite frankly I was optimistic. “Up to three weeks ago, the polls indicated that we were going to win. I don’t know what happened in the last two, three weeks of the campaign. “As you know, a large number of voters make up their minds in the last two weeks of election. Many voters decide, no matter what happens, this is how I am voting. But most people want to wait and watch and make up their minds in the last two weeks. “Three weeks ago, the polls clearly showed that APC was going to win, but the results came out differently from what we expected.” However, El-Rufai commended how the election played out and commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his policy of non-interference in elections. “The election was reasonably decent,” he said. “We were all worried about violence; there was very little violence or none at all. So Obaseki has won, that’s it. You can’t go into an election without adverting your mind to the possibility of losing. “And one thing President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has always done is to say that there must be free and fair election and the people’s choice must prevail. “And the President has never used what is called Federal Might that other governments have used in the past to steal elections. We always insist that everyone should go and pitch to the people and may the best man win. And we can live with it.”

Imo Governor, Uzodinma, Rejects Edo Election Result, Says APC Will Win In Court

Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma, has rejected the result of Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State. Uzodinma disclosed this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Oguwike Nwachuku. He said the entire process in Edo State was marred by irregularities from officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, who sabotaged the system, making it difficult for the APC votes to count. The governor further described the conduct of INEC officials in Edo as ‘shameful’. “The governor also thanked the governorship candidate of the APC in Edo, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, for his resilience and doggedness. He also assured that the APC is already gathering evidence to proceed to the Election Petition Tribunal any moment from now, confident that the party will get judgment in due time. “Governor Uzodinma urged all APC faithfuls and party State supporters to remain calm and law abiding, noting that what happened in Edo State was a sabotage to our hard-worn democracy in Nigeria,” the statement read. The Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday declared Obaseki winner of the contest. He amassed 307,955 votes across 18 local government areas to defeat Ize-

PHOTOS: Schools resume in Lagos, Oyo after long COVID-19 break

Students of Public and Private Secondary Schools resumed back to their various Schools on Monday after the covid 19 pandemic lockdown. Pic shows Students observing various protocols as stipulated by the NCDC for their resumption at Monatan High School Junior, Iyalode, Ibadan on Monday. Students of AUD comprehensive High School, Lafenwa Itele, Otta, Ogun State, still walking around and not knowing their next classes, as Public, Private secondary and Schools resumed back to their various Schools on Monday after the COVID 19 pandemic lockdown in Ogun state. Photos below

Leaked documents reveal money laundering scam worth $2tn

Several leaked documents have revealed how the world ’ s biggest banks enable criminals to launder money around the world . The documents showing about $2tn of transactions are popularly called FinCEN files. The BBC reports that the FinCEN files are more than 2, 500 documents , most of which were files that banks sent to the US authorities between 2000 and 2017. They raise concerns about what their clients might be doing. The documents are utilised by the banks to report suspicious behaviour . However , they may not be proof of wrongdoing or crime , the report said . The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury is saddled with the task of analysing information about financial transactions to combat domestic and international money laundering, terrorist financing , and other financial crimes . The FinCEN files revealed how top tier banks such as HSBC, JP Morgan, Barclays Bank , Deutsche Bank , Standard Chartered amongst others helped highly connected individuals move money round several accounts in the world . JP Morgan allowed a company to move more than $1bn through a London account without knowing who owned it. One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’ s closest associates used Barclays Bank in London to avoid sanctions which were meant to stop him using financial services in the West. Some of the cash was invested in works of art , the report added .

Cabal hijacked Subsidy regime — NNPC Boss

Says FG wastes over N10 trillion on Subsidy Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kolo Kyari, has said that over N10 trillion was spent on fuel subsidy between 2006 and 2020 without a significant impact on the masses. Also, the subsidy regime was affected by marketers who were smuggling the subsidized PMS to neighbouring countries to make more profit and others who faked documents to collect subsidy for fuel they never imported. Kyari explained that the Federal Government removed the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), because the subsidy regime was also characterised by fraud by some cabals and not beneficial to the masses, who were the original target beneficiaries. The NNPC GMD spoke in a Hausa Radio programme monitored in Kaduna at the weekend, adding that the fuel subsidy was the root of all the atrocities and frauds in the oil sector. The government has removed the subsidy with a plan to reinvest on projects that will have a direct impact on the masses, he said. “The crude oil is a global commodity and its price is not hidden, everyone can calculate and know how much is the cost of every final product from the crude at the international market. But, since the inception of the country, the Government has been paying subsidy on petrol to make it cheaper for Nigerians to buy below the cost price. “This subsidy is designed to assist the masses of Nigeria, that is the intention, but in reality, the masses are not the beneficiaries. First, the masses are not the owners of exotic cars, buying fuel, owning the filling stations and doing the oil business. “This subsidy that the government has been paying over the years is the root of all the atrocities and fraud committed in this country. For example, if you look at it from 2006 till 2020, we have spent over N10trillion on fuel subsidy. Apart from that, there is also subsidy on foreign currencies, everybody knows how much is dollar in the market, but the government is also subsidising it. So, this and the fuel subsidy within this period is around 14 to 15 trillion Naira. “What was happening with the subsidy is that some marketers were smuggling fuel to other neighboring African countries because it was cheaper in Nigeria due to the subsidy. Another one is those who use to fake documents and bring to Government to collect subsidy for fuel they never imported and the previous Government was paying them. “So, it was not the masses of Nigeria that were enjoying this subsidy, except some cabals, who are rich and powerful, they were enriching themselves with the subsidy money at the detriment of the masses who were the primary target of the subsidy. The masses are only enjoying the subsidy when it comes to the effects on the cost of transportation, and we are going to do something about this. “This money has been wasted over the years, it cannot be justified. So, with the right leaders in place, this money should have been channeled to other areas of development. Even though I understand that there is a lack of trust between the leaders and the citizens, but if we have just leaders, this money can be judiciously utilised. “But, what we have seen in the last five years, has shown that, if we have just and trusted leaders, that money can be judiciously utilised to the benefit of the masses. We have seen that the resources at the disposal of the Government in the last five years, is not up to a quarter of what the previous Government got in the previous five years. “So, what the Government is trying to do is that, to withdraw this subsidy and take it to where the Nigeria masses will feel the impact, by building hospitals, schools, roads, industries and so on, where people can see physically what the money is being used for. “This subsidy has been removed since March this year, that time, price of crude oil was less than $30 per barrel, as a result of that, the price of fuel dropped, so, we dropped the price of fuel to the level of global market price, it was dropped to N125. “From this money, Nigeria has been able to pay workers salaries without retrenching despite the effects of the Covid-19 on the global economy. In the whole of West Africa, it is only Nigeria that didn’t retrench workers as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Apart from that, part of the money will be used to support farmers and other businesses,” Kyari said. Speaking on the Ajaokuta, Kaduna, Kano gas pipeline project, the NNPC GMD said. Nigeria has more gas deposits than oil, hence the need to extend the gas across the country to power. He said because gas is cheaper than fuel, the government decided to extend the gas supply to the North, to ensure the revival of the moribund factories like the textile industry which collapsed due to lack of power. He noted that those industries could not have survived running on diesel. “if we don’t extend gas to the North, this challenge of the collapse of the industry will continue to worsen. So, when completed, it will bring back the factories, because we are going to build power plants in Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano. This will create employment and address poverty in the region,” he said.