Crime Facts

Onanuga to Yahaya Bello: Submit yourself to EFCC, get a good lawyer

  Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, says Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, should submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Onanuga’s advice to the former governor was shared on X after the anti-graft agency declared Bello wanted on Thursday for alleged money laundering to the tune of N80 billion. “Yahaya Bello, where will you run to? It’s better you submit yourself to the EFCC and get a good lawyer,” the presidential aide wrote. On Wednesday, some EFCC operatives laid siege on Bello’s Abuja residence in an attempt to arrest him. However, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, arrived at Bello’s residence and was said to have “rescued” his predecessor. In the advertorial declaring Bello wanted, the anti-graft agency asked anyone with useful information on his whereabouts to contact the commission or the nearest police station. About a month ago, EFCC named Bello in an amended money laundering charge filed against Alli Bello, chief of staff to Ododo. The agency alleged that the suspects diverted about N100 billion belonging to the Kogi government. The Kogi government under the leadership of Ododo has since said funds belonging to the state were not missing during the tenure of the former governor.

IG withdraws policemen attached to Yahaya Bello

  The Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has withdrawn all police officers attached to the embattled former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello. The order for the withdrawal was contained in a police wireless message seen by our correspondent on Friday. The document with reference number: “CB:4001/DOPS/PMF/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.48/ 34 read in part, “IG has ordered the withdrawal of all policemen attached to His Excellency and former Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. “Acknowledge compliance and treat with utmost importance. Please, above, for your information and strict compliance.” The Nigerian Immigration Service had earlier placed the former governor on its watchlist after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared him wanted in connection to an alleged case of money laundering to the tune of N80.2bn. The NIS circular sighted by The PUNCH was dated April 18, 2024, and was signed by Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, DS Umar, for the Comptroller-General, Kemi Nandap. The service detailed the name, nationality, and passport number of the former gpvernor (B50083321) saying “I am directed to inform you that the above-named person has been placed on the watch list. “Suffice to mention that the subject is being prosecuted before the Federal High Court Abuja for conspiracy, breach of trust, and money laundering vide letter Ref; CR; 3000/EFCC/LS/EGCS.1/ TE/Vide/1/279 dated April 18, 2024. “If seen at any entry or exit point, he should be arrested and referred to the Director of Investigation or contact 08036226329/07039617304 for further action.” Earlier, the EFCC declared Bello wanted, asking members of the public with useful information about the former governor’s whereabouts to contact any of the commission’s offices across the country. The anti-graft commission had earlier stated that it would arraign the former governor before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday. This came after the EFCC was granted a warrant of arrest by the Federal High Court in Abuja to apprehend Bello. Bello, alongside three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu, were to be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite on 19 counts related to money laundering. But drama ensued when officers of the Nigeria Police Force foiled the EFCC’s attempt to arrest Bello at his Abuja residence on Wednesday. A group of armed men, identified as “Special Forces,” along with officers from the Nigeria Police Force, intervened to prevent the EFCC operatives from apprehending him. The PUNCH gathered that the current governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, had intervened to prevent the arrest of his predecessor. Ododo’s security team reportedly escorted Bello out of the location in the governor’s vehicle.

Explosion heard inside Iran as Israel vows retaliation

  An explosion has been heard over the northwest of Isfahan, a city in central Iran, the Iranian semi-official FARS news agency reported early Friday morning, citing local sources. The cause of this explosion is still unknown. Flight tracking website, Flight Radar 24 showed that multiple flights were diverted over Iranian airspace early Friday.   Videos reportedly from Isfahan appeared to show Iranian air defenses activated in the skies over the area. The Iranian semi-official Fars News Agency reported that an explosion was heard in Qahjavarestan, east of Isfahan and near the Isfahan International Airport.

Dangote refinery ramps up production with US crude – Report

  The 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery is taking advantage of cheaper oil imports from the United States for as much as a third of its feedstock as it starts up production. A report by Bloomberg on Thursday stated that the plant has been shipping products in recent weeks while readying two units to enable gasoline (petrol) output that will deliver a long-promised transformation of the fuel market both in Nigeria and the region. It attributed this to analysts. “Dangote is going to influence Atlantic Basin gasoline markets this summer and for the rest of the year,” said Alan Gelder, Vice President of Refining, Chemicals, and Oil Markets at the consultancy firm, Wood Mackenzie. He added, “When the RFCC comes online, that’ll really shake things up because it alters the West African gasoline supply balance,” referring to a residue fluid catalytic cracking unit that upgrades heavier products.   The refinery is running at about 300,000 barrels per day, nearly half its nameplate capacity, according to the average estimate of analysts at WoodMac, FGE, and Citac. The complex has started shipping jet fuel, gasoil, and naphtha as it widens to a full slate of products. Wood Mackenzie expects the gasoline-focused units to be online this summer, while other analysts expect the RFCC to take until the end of the year. Dangote Industries said earlier this month that gasoline deliveries will start in May. A company spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to questions. “The refinery is already having a sizable impact on product markets even running in its most stripped-back form at minimum rates,” said Ronan Hodgson, an energy analyst at FGE. Units that boost diesel quality will also start up in the coming months.   On Wednesday, The PUNCH reported that the refinery announced a reduction in the price of diesel from N1,200/litre to N1,000/litre, a development that triggered excitement among operators in the downstream oil sector. Dangote refinery announced this in a statement by its spokesperson, Tony Chiejina. The statement read in part, “In an unprecedented move, Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a further reduction of the price of diesel from N1200 to N1,000/litre. “While rolling out the products, the refinery supplied at a substantially reduced price of N1,200/litre three weeks ago, representing over 30 per cent reduction from the previous market price of about N1,600/litre. “This significant reduction in the price of diesel at Dangote Petroleum Refinery is expected to positively affect all the spheres of the economy and ultimately reduce the high inflation rate in the country.” Bloomberg reported on Thursday that as much as a third of the oil shipped into the giant refinery so far has been US-grade WTI Midland, according to shipping information compiled by the media house. This, according to the report, might likely continue as long as the foreign oil undercuts the price of local supplies. It, however, stated that Dangote could be about to change that. Nigeria released new rules earlier this week that will compel its oil producers to sell crude to domestic refineries in a bid to reverse the country’s reliance on imported refined products. It’s not yet clear how much each refinery will need to take. The decision by the Federal Government to sell crude to indigenous refiners came as the government also stated that the refineries could now purchase crude using the local currency – naira, or the United States dollar.

Defence chief, nine others die in Kenya military helicopter crash

  A Kenyan military helicopter carrying top brass including the defence chief crashed on Thursday, police said. President William Ruto convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council, his office announced after news of the crash emerged. Defence forces chief General Francis Omondi Ogolla was among those on board the helicopter that went down in Elgeyo Marakwet county, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi, a senior police officer told AFP. “The helicopter burst into flames after crashing and it had more than 10 senior commanders on board including General Ogolla,” the officer said. “They were in the area on a security mission because there are KDF (Kenya Defence Forces) soldiers deployed in the region,” he said. TEarlier, there was no report of official comment on casualties. “President William Ruto has convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council at State House Nairobi this evening following a Kenya Defence Forces’ helicopter crash this afternoon in Elgeyo-Marakwet County,” State House spokesman Hussein Mohamed said in a statement. Ogolla, 61, was appointed Chief of the Defence Forces by Ruto in April last year after a stint as deputy. Ruto told journalists last May that he appointed Ogolla despite him being among those who tried to overturn his narrow election win against opposition leader Raila Odinga in 2022. “When I looked at his CV, he was the best person to be (a) general,” Ruto said, adding his decision went against the wishes of many people. A trained fighter pilot, Ogolla joined the KDF in April 1984, rising through the ranks to command the Kenyan Air Force in 2018, a post he held for three years.     However, in a latest report, President Ruto said Ogolla and nine other senior military officers died in a helicopter crash on Thursday. He added that only two survived the air accident. “Today at 2:20 pm, our nation suffered a tragic air accident… I am deeply saddened to announce the passing on of General Francis Omondi Ogolla,” Ruto said. AFP

Google sacks 28 workers protesting contract with Israel

  Google fired 28 employees following a disruptive sit-down protest over the tech giant’s contract with the Israeli government, a Google spokesperson said Thursday. The Tuesday demonstration was organised by the group “No Tech for Apartheid,” which has long opposed “Project Nimbus,” Google’s joint $1.2 billion contract with Amazon to provide cloud services to the government of Israel. Video of the demonstration showed police arresting Google workers in Sunnyvale, California, in the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, according to a post by the advocacy group on X, formerly Twitter. Kurian’s office was occupied for 10 hours, the advocacy group said. Workers held signs including “Googlers against Genocide,” a reference to accusations surrounding Israel’s attacks on Gaza. “No Tech for Apartheid,” which also held protests in New York and Seattle, pointed to an April 12 Time magazine article reporting a draft contract of Google billing the Israeli Ministry of Defense more than $1 million for consulting services. A “small number” of employees “disrupted” a few Google locations, but the protests are “part of a longstanding campaign by a group of organizations and people who largely don’t work at Google,” a Google spokesperson said. “After refusing multiple requests to leave the premises, law enforcement was engaged to remove them to ensure office safety,” the Google spokesperson said. “We have so far concluded individual investigations that resulted in the termination of employment for 28 employees, and will continue to investigate and take action as needed.” Israel is one of “numerous” governments for which Google provides cloud computing services, the Google spokesperson said. “This work is not directed at highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services,” the Google spokesperson said. AFP

Damagum remains acting chair as PDP asks members to work for party’s success

  Umar Damagum has retained his position as the acting charman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). On Thursday, the PDP conducted its 98th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the party’s secretariat in Abuja. In a communique issued after the meeting, Debo Ologunagba, national publicity secretary of the party, said the NEC urged all members of the party to continue to work together for the success of the PDP for the benefit of Nigerians. On Wednesday, the national working committee (NWC) of the PDP passed a vote of confidence in Damagum. “NEC charges all Organs, leaders, critical stakeholders and indeed all members of the PDP to close ranks, put aside every personal or group interests and work together in the overall effort to reposition and return the PDP to power at the center in the interest of the Nigerian people,” Ologunagba said. “Consequently, NEC received and approved the Timetable for Party Congresses across the country. “NEC also approved the Reconstitution of the Party Disciplinary and Reconciliation Committees to further ensure the stability of the Party. “Similarly, NEC approved the extension of the life of the Party Constitution Amendment Committee to allow it to receive new amendment proposals for inclusion in its deliberation and final report for consideration by NEC. “NEC commended the efforts of the National Working Committee in its effort towards rebranding the Party including the new look PDP Logo which is widely accepted by Party members and Nigerians in general. “NEC charges all Party members to continue to work together for the success of the PDP for the benefit of Nigerians and sustenance of Democracy in our country.”

16 feared killed by terrorist bomb in Borno

  No fewer than 16 persons were feared dead and 20 others injured when a commercial vehicle plying the Baga -Kukawa Road in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State drove over an Improvised Explosive Device suspected to have been planted by ISWAP terrorist group. Credible military intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in the Lake Chad region, that the incident occurred on Wednesday, April 17. Although Makama reported 10 feared dead, credible sources told The PUNCH they were no fewer than 16. 7Div spokesman, Lt Col Ajemusu Jingina, said, “I will not comment on the incident, as the location falls under the jurisdiction of the Multi-National Joint Task Force, which is headquartered in Ndjamena, Chad Republic.” However, a resident of Baga, Bukar Wakil, told The PUNCH on the phone, “We heard that the IED was planted with the intent of killing troops, but the unfortunate commercial vehicle drove over it before any military vehicle did, killing about 16 people and injuring about 20, mainly passers-by.” A Maiduguri-based security expert, Abdullahi Abubakar, raised concern over the resurgence of sporadic attacks by ISWAP across the Lake Chad basin. “You should look at the current resurgence of attacks from three angles,” he told The PUNCH. He explained, “One, troops have claimed degrading Boko Haram to virtual non-existence; two, ISWAP, a rival of Boko Haram, have invaded the Chad basin, not only unleashing terror but attempting to crush Boko Haram in incessant battles for supremacy; and three, ISWAP wants to show the Nigerian military that they are very much around and are very much uncrushable.” He remarked, “Until troops completely crush ISWAP, the terrorist group will never, in my view, allow Chad Basin to rest. “This explains the sporadic attacks, especially in Northern Borno.”

Tinubu approves basic, secondary, tertiary schools census

  President Bola Tinubu has approved system-wide policies to comprehensively overhaul the education sector to improve learning and skill development, increase enrolment, and ensure the academic security of the nation’s children. One of the policies will take care of a census for all schools in Nigeria, from basic to tertiary level. A statement issued on Thursday, April 18, by special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said the approved policies are captured as DOTS, an acronym representing: Data Repository, Out-of-School Children Education, Teacher Training & Development, and Skill Development & Acquisition. On Data Repository, it said currently, there is a paucity of coordinated, verifiable, and authentic data on all aspects of the education sector in Nigeria, which is critical for planning. Consequently, the president has approved the conduct of an extensive census of the following all schools in Nigeria from primary to tertiary level, their conditions and live-in facilities, proximity to one another, educational infrastructure, etc. A census will also be conducted of all teachers in Nigeria, their qualifications, training support received, etc., as well as all pupils and students in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, gender, exam grades, etc. According to the statement, this information will guide federal and state interventions for teachers’ training and development as well as overall support. It will also provide data on gender ratio (boys and girls), their specific learning needs, and who is in school or who has dropped out based on daily monitoring with year-by-year reporting. The statement said there will be a dedicated portal/dashboard in the Federal Ministry of Education, offices of state governors, and local government chairpersons, which will host and disseminate this information for the federal government, states, and local governments to monitor in real-time. According to the statement, this new data-tracking architecture will enable the government to track the progress of students, thus having a clear data-driven mechanism for interventions, especially concerning out-of-school children, girls, and those with specific learning disabilities, among others. On Out-of-school children’s education and training, the statement pointed out that the Federal Ministry of Education is already implementing the government’s policy through the activities of four of its agencies. “Already, there are about two million beneficiaries. The system-wide policy will further enhance the education and training of the nation’s out-of-school children,” it affirmed. Under Teachers’ Development and support, it said the Federal Ministry of Education will support and train teachers in digital skills to facilitate the use of technology in classrooms, noting that this is expected to bring technology and digitization to teachers and learners at all levels of education. For Skill development and acquisition for all levels, the statement added: “In his determined effort to enhance skill diversity in the education sector to effectively equip Nigerian students with the requisite skills, knowledge, and values to become functional and productive members of society, the President has also approved the National Skills Framework. “The framework is designed to provide the appropriate skills for each level of education that will result in the empowering of generations of Nigerians with the required aptitude for the evolving needs of the global economy of the 21st century. “This framework is expected to address skill gaps, quality of education, and unemployment concerns as students will acquire certain skill sets, in addition to general knowledge. “It is expected that once fully implemented, these programmes will succeed in resetting learning and connecting the ‘DOTS’ for significant improvement of the overall education system in Nigeria, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu”, the statement said.

FCCPC Seals 4U Supermarket In Abuja Over Unfair Practices

  The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed 4U Supermarket in Abuja. It was sealed on Thursday over unfair practices by its management. FCCPC officials took the action during an enforcement exercise in parts of the nation’s capital. Officials of FCCPC were at several supermarkets in Abuja to initiate a campaign to enforce price display and quantity compliance. The move is a direct response to concerns raised by consumers about the rising costs of goods which go against the recent strengthening of the naira against major currencies. The Commission said price discrepancies remain a significant issue.