Armed militants from the creeks of the Niger Delta are spoiling for war over the N4bn surveillance contract awarded to a former creek warlord, Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo. The hooded militants, who brandished AK-47 rifles, vowed to sustain attacks on the pipelines if some notable indigenes were not integrated into the deal. Speaking in a viral video, the leader of the militants, who identified himself as ‘General’ Lente said the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, erred for giving only Tompolo the job. He said leaders from a community hosting 83km of over 90km pipeline were ignored in the contract award. Lente wondered why King Ateke Tom and Alhaji Asari Dokubo were not considered to be part of the contract, accusing the minister of causing confusion in Ijaw land. According to him: ” This message is for Timipre Sylva. What you are trying to do is to cause trouble in the Niger Delta especially in Ijaw land. What you are trying to do won’t work for you. “You are trying to cause confusion. NCTL is over 90km. A particular community has 83km in it, you didn’t give any of them the job but you took it to somebody who is in Oporoza when we have the likes of the former IYC President, Dokubo Alhaji Asari, High Chief Ateke Tom, you didn’t give to them. “But let me tell you, I General Lente even if the leaders accept it, I will not accept it because you tried it in oil and gas, you succeeded because we didn’t talk to you. You think we are David Lyon that you took into politics and after he lost his election, you took over his contract and gave it to your brother Kojo Sam. “This is the pipeline, come and see. Nobody will stop us. If you don’t give the contract to the original indigenes, it will not work”.

  The United States Attorney’s Office for Central District of California, Los Angeles, says the September 21, 2022 sentence date for alleged international Internet fraudster Ramon Abbas, aka, Hushpuppi, remains unchanged. The court’s Director of Media Relations, Thom Mrozek, made this known on Friday in response to an email inquiry by Channels Television. Since Hushpuppi’s conviction last year for alleged $1.1m fraud, the court has moved his sentence date at least three times. Hushpuppi was initially scheduled for sentencing on February 14 but it was moved to July 11 before it was against postponed for September 21 this year. Asked exactly when 39-year-old Hushpuppi would be sentenced by the court, Mrozek said the suspect had long pleaded guilty last year and would be sentenced later this year. “Mr. Abbas is currently scheduled to be sentenced by a federal judge in Los Angeles on September 21,” he said. Hushpuppi had entered a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to charges including money laundering, wire fraud, amongst others brought against him by the court. According to court documents, he risks “20 years’ imprisonment; a 3-year period of supervised release; a fine of $500,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offence”. He was arrested in Dubai in June 2020 alongside 12 others and extradited to the US for prosecution. Kyari’s extradition Mrozek was, however, silent on the possible extradition of the suspended Head of Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari, who was indicted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Hushpuppi’s case. The court had ordered the FBI to arrest Kyari over a year ago. “I am unable to offer any comment on the state of Mr. Kyari,” the court official said. FBI Special Agent, Andrew Innocenti, had alleged that Hushpuppi engaged Kyari’s services after a “co-conspirator,” Chibuzo Vincent, allegedly threatened to expose the alleged $1.1m fraud committed against a Qatari businessman. Innocenti had also claimed he got voice calls and WhatsApp conversations between Kyari and Hushpuppi, alleging that the police officer was paid $20,600 for Vincent’s arrest and detention. Kyari had taken to Facebook in July 2021 to deny the allegations but he later deleted the post. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), had during Channels Television’s Politics Today said the United States Government and the Nigerian Government were discussing Kyari’s case and that reasonable grounds for suspicion have been established against Kyari. “There are a lot of issues that are ongoing inclusive of the possibility of consideration for extradition. That is where the collaboration element of it comes into play,” the AGF had said on the possible extradition of Kyari. Kyari was later arrested by the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency in February for alleged drug-related offences and has since arraigned the suspended deputy police commissioner. Remanded at the Kuje prison in Abuja, Kyari and his co-defendants hope to get bail before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja on August 30, 2022.

  Several shops and houses were razed on Thursday when gunmen invaded Izombe, a community in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, South-east Nigeria. The gunmen were said to have attacked the community at about 4:30 p.m. It was gathered that the attack lasted for over two hours. A resident of the area, Chijioke Kelechi, told this newspaper that the gunmen wore security uniforms. He said the gunmen arrived the community in about eight vehicles causing residents to flee. “Suddenly they started shooting sporadically and all of us ran for our dear lives,” he said. “They set houses and shops ablaze, about 10 or even more.” He said the gunmen appeared to be targeting specific houses and that they were also looting some shops. “We have all run away. We are scared they might come back and kill us,” Mr Kelechi added. He could not confirm if any resident was killed in the attack. A video clip and photographs of some of the shops and houses razed by the gunmen have gone viral on social media. In a video, some shops and houses were in flames, with residents struggling to put off the fire. “It is not easy for us now,” a voice is heard in the background. “They broke people’s shops and carried their goods.” When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Michael Abattam, promised to respond to enquiries about the attack. He was yet to do so at the time of filing this report. Worsening insecurity Like other states in the South-east, security has deteriorated in Imo State, with frequent attacks by armed persons. The attacks often target security agencies, government officials, and facilities. The latest incident came barely three weeks after gunmen attacked and killed four police officers at Agwa Divisional Police Headquarters in the council area.

  The House of Representatives has summoned the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF), Adolphus Aghughu, to appear before it on 30 August, for explanation on fuel subsidy payments between 2013 and 2022. The lawmakers want the auditor-general to provide documentary evidence on the audit carried out on the monies spent on fuel subsidy by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd. The Chairman, Special ad hoc Committee investigating the fuel subsidy, Ibrahim Aliyu, issued the notice in Abuja on Thursday. Mr Aliyu made this known during the scrutiny of documents submitted by the representative of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGoF), Okolieaboh Sylvia. The AGoF was represented by the Director, Federation Accounts, Mohammed Saleh. The lawmakers also directed the office of the AGoF to provide relevant financial transactions on the fuel subsidy for the period under review. In its bid to ensure fair hearing as enshrined in the law, the committee said it was expecting the AGoF to appear before it on 8 September with relevant documents. The committee tasked the AGoF on the need to have an independent monitoring mechanism to verify the veracity of the transactions. The committee also expressed the need for the office of the AGoF to ensure due diligence by verifying the transaction documents submitted by all government agencies in line with its functions as spelt out in the Act. Mark Gbillah (PDP-Benue) after scrutinising the documents, said he identified some discrepancies in the amount computed in the NNPC documents. (NAN)

  The police in Lagos have arrested one Billy Tokunbo for flouting the traffic law and assaulting one of its officers. The police spokesperson in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, shared the update on his Twitter handle on Friday. The suspect, Billy King Tokunbo, who drove against traffic, was immediately arrested. His Toyota Corolla car with registration number LSR 430 FT was equally impounded immediately. He is to be arraigned for his traffic offence and assault on a police officer. Updates to follow. https://t.co/02nABn3JM2 pic.twitter.com/xxUGTibjXS — SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) August 26, 2022 “The suspect, Billy King Tokunbo, who drove against traffic, was immediately arrested,” he wrote. “His Toyota Corolla car with registration number LSR 430 FT was equally impounded immediately. He is to be arraigned for his traffic offence and assault on a police officer. Updates to follow.” If found guilty of traffic infraction, the suspect would face up to a year in prison and his vehicle forfeited. Condemnation The Nigeria Police Force on Thursday condemned the assault of the unidentified police officer. The Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, had shared the video on his Twitter handle condemning the act.   “We condemn this act in totality,” Mr Adejobi posted. “Whatever that must have transpired between them, the man ought not to have assaulted and embarrassed a police officer, in uniform, this way. It’s a disgrace to our country and the constituted authority; and he must face the music. Video In the video, an armed police officer could be seen being dragged by the waist by the suspect towards his vehicle. However, the armed police officer exercised restraint in the 25 seconds video and made no attempt to defend himself. We condemn this act in totality. Whatever that must have transpired between them, the man ought not to have assaulted and embarrassed a police officer, on uniform, this way. Its a disgrace to our country and the constituted authority; and he must face the music. pic.twitter.com/rahflDAszq — Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi (@Princemoye1) August 25, 2022 For assaulting a police officer, Mr Hundeyin told PREMIUM Times that the suspect will be charged for “serious assault” because it involved a law enforcement officer. And if found guilty, he would spend three years behind bars.