May 2024 – Page 36 – Crime Facts

Post Date : May 13, 2024

“The Jungle Has Matured,’ Fubara Vows To Probe Wike’s administration in Rivers

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has announced a plan by his administration to set up a panel of inquiry into the governance of the state. Governor Fubara stated this on Monday after swearing in Dagogo Iboroma as the Attorney General of the state shortly after the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was screened and confirmed by the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led House of Assembly. He emphatically stated that the state is in a critical situation where it has become obvious that the political crisis cannot be resolved. “Why are we bringing you in at this very critical time? You have a big task. As it is today, in the local parlance, they say the jungle has matured. We will be setting a panel of inquiry to investigate the affairs of governance,” he said. “So brace up. I am not going back on it”. The governor accused his opponents of deliberately sabotaging his administration while he was hoping that the issue in the state would be resolved amicably. He vowed to make tough decisions moving forward no matter how hurtful they would seem. Governor Fubara also responded to comments by former Attorney General Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN), and his counterpart in the Ministry of Works Alabo George-Kelly. He accused the former Attorney General of sabotaging his administration by filing nolle prosequi against the interest of the state. On the comment by George-Kelly, Governor Fubara maintained he would have been promoted beyond Level 14 in the civil servants before his retirement. He said he was already on Level 13 as a Chief Account Officer before 2023. According to him, even if it was a mistake, by the special grace of God he is here as a governor. “Even if it is a mistake (his emergence as a governor), by the special grace of God, I am here today. Let me also appeal to them, let them continue to make mistakes,” Fubara said. The move is the latest twist in the political crisis rocking the oil-rich state. The development has seen a deepening of the feud between Fubara and the state House of Assembly. Last week, lawmakers loyal to the governor elected a new speaker. Fubara had also issued an executive order relocating the sitting venue of the Rivers State House of Assembly to the Government House, citing safety concerns. The feud is due to the fallout between Fubara and his predecessor and current Minister of the FCT Nyesom Wike. President Bola Tinubu had waded into the crisis last year but the imbroglio appears to be far from over.

Post Date : May 13, 2024

Generator fumes kill woman, son in Delta

A middle-aged woman and her son were reportedly killed by suspected generator fumes in their apartment in the Umuagwu area of Asaba, Delta State. The deceaseds were found dead in the apartment while two others were unconscious. Sister of the deceased, Ms Maureen, described the death of her sister as mysterious, saying that she did not die of generator fumes or noodles poisoning as rumoured in the community. She said: “The rumour that is making the round in the community that they died as a result of eating noodles or generator fumes is a lie.” Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer the state Command, Mr. Bright Edafe said the information available to the police was that victims died as a result of generator fumes. ‘If the family has another information, they can approach the DPO, A Division.”, he said.

Post Date : May 13, 2024

Nigerian Customs Officer Kill Self

An officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) serving in the Federal Capital Territory, Abdulwahab Magaji, has reportedly shot himself dead at his Abuja residence. According to PUNCH, Magaji killed himself with a pump-action rifle at his residence located at Binta Street, Farm Estate area, Abuja. It was also said that Magaji’s family lodged a report about his tragic death to the police, prompting the officers flooding the scene of the incident. A family source was quoted as saying when the police arrived at the scene, the victim was rushed to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead. The source said, “A family of the deceased had raised the alarm that CSC Abdulahi Abdulwahab Magaji, a customs officer serving in Abuja, shot himself in his house at Farm Centre with a pump-action rifle. “Police officers dashed to the scene of the incident and took the victim to the hospital, where he was certified dead by the doctor on duty.” The source added that the body of the deceased had been handed over to the family for burial, according to Islamic rites. Customs National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, could not be reached for comments at the time of filing this report. Meanwhile, the case has not been officially confirmed by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, as efforts to speak with her were futile as of the time of filing this report. Speaking about Magaji’s demise, a friend named Lawan Al-Amin Mohammed, described him as a pillar of strength, source of comfort and guiding light during his lifetime. Mohammed paid tribute to the late Magaji for his outstanding character and great integrity, adding that he lived a life of purpose. He wrote, “But beyond his infectious laughter and boundless optimism, Abdul possessed a rare depth of character and integrity that set him apart. He lived his life with purpose and passion, guided by principles of honesty, compassion and empathy. “He was more than just a friend; Abdul was a brother, a pillar of strength, a source of comfort and a guiding light in times of darkness. His unwavering support and unconditional love lifted me up when I stumbled, reminding me that I was never alone in my struggles. In his absence, I’m left with a profound sense of loss, a void that can never be filled. “But as we mourn his passing, let us also celebrate the extraordinary life he lived and the countless lives he touched along the way. “Abdul’s spirit will live on in the memories we hold dear and the lives he forever changed. Let us honour his legacy by embracing the values he held dear and striving to live our lives with the same grace, dignity, and compassion.” The act of the uniform men killing themselves has become rampant which might not be unconnected to depression. Early this year, a Deputy Commissioner of Police serving with the Force Criminal and Investigation Department, Alagbon, Lagos State, Gbolahan Oyedemi, on Monday, reportedly committed suicide in his private house in his hometown, Ogbomoso, Oyo State. Oyedemi was the Aide de Camp to the late former Governor of the state, Adebayo Alao-Akala, during his 11-month tenure as defacto governor in 2006. A source close to the family had told our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday in Ibadan, the state capital, that Oyedemi, who normally visited his hometown during the Easter celebrations, told his aides at the weekend to go to their various towns to celebrate with their family members. The source said, “Yes, he committed suicide. His body was found hanging in his house yesterday (Monday). He stays alone, and he normally comes home for Easter celebrations.

Post Date : May 13, 2024

Togo Constitutional Court Confirms Ruling Party Election Win

Togo’s constitutional court on Monday confirmed provisional results from last month’s legislative elections that saw President Faure Gnassingbe’s ruling party win a crushing majority. Gnassingbe’s Union for the Republic party (UNIR) won 108 of the 113 parliamentary seats, court president Djobo-Babakane Coulibaley announced at its headquarters in the capital, Lome. Opposition parties won the other five seats up for grabs in the April 29 vote, he said. The provisional results had been published early this month amid mounting political tension after the adoption of a contested constitutional reform. The court found that on the whole voting operations took place in conformity with procedures set out by the electoral code,” Coulibaley said. The court has rejected all appeals lodged by the opposition. On Sunday, the DMP coalition of opposition parties and civil society organisations complained that the court had ruled on the appeals “barely three days” after they were lodged and accused the court of playing a “partisan role”. Opposition parties have condemned the reform which they say will allow Gnassingbe to extend his already nearly two-decade rule. It moves the West African country from a presidential to a parliamentary system, rendering the presidency a largely ceremonial post elected by lawmakers. Power shifts to the newly created position of president of the council of ministers, a kind of prime minister role to be held by the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority. That means Gnassingbe can assume the new post as head of the UNIR. Under the old constitution, he could have only run one more time as president in 2025. Installed by the military after his father’s death in 2005, Gnassingbe has since won four elections. His father ruled before him for nearly 40 years following a coup. UNIR loyalists say the reform makes Togo’s democracy more representative. The opposition has dismissed the legislative elections as an “electoral masquerade”.

Post Date : May 13, 2024

Interest rates to remain high until inflation comes down — Cardoso

The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso said interest rates would remain high until inflation rate comes down. Cardoso stated this in a Financial Times report on Monday. The CBN boss also said orthodox policies would be implemented to tame inflation. He said there is “every indication” that MPC would “do whatever is necessary” to rein in inflation. Cardoso said, “They will continue to do what has to be done to ensure that inflation comes down. “Let’s face it: for a long period of time, the CBN did not embrace orthodox monetary policies. “We want to go back to using an orthodox method, and it will take us to where we want to go,” he said. Cardoso said the apex bank had been “reoriented” to focus on “price and monetary stability”. He said the official window of the foreign exchange (FX) market has been stabilised. According to the governor, investors previously had a “tendency to head for the window” in response to currency fluctuations, however, there has been a “fundamental shift”. “They’re getting more comfortable with the market,” Cardoso said. Also, Cardoso maintained that raising interest rates has been crucial. He noted that high interest rates would not linger for too long and act as a disincentive to investment and production. “Hiking interest rates obviously has had a dampening effect on the foreign exchange market, so that has begun to moderate. It’s not a zero-sum game. You lose on one side, you get on the other,” he said. He said inflation was higher than he had hoped, blaming “distortions” mainly due to high food prices.

Post Date : May 13, 2024

US senator who once tackled Nigeria over human rights goes on trial for bribery

A sitting US senator is facing a weeklong trial on charges of bribery which include gold bars, cash, and a luxury car among other things. These bribes were allegedly in exchange for influencing US aid and weapon deals with a foreign government and halting a federal case against a co-defendant, CNN reports. A Democratic senator from New Jersey, Bob Menendez, who is facing 16 charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to obstruct justice has rejected calls for resignation. He planned to prove his innocence and has not ruled out an independent run following the trial. He told CNN’s Manu Raju on Capitol Hill last week, “I am looking forward to proving my innocence,” when asked repeatedly whether he would resign in the face of a potential conviction. Prosecutors claimed that Menendez and his wife, Nadine, aided New Jersey businessmen in obtaining lucrative contracts with Egyptian and Qatari officials and attempted to halt investigations into them and their associates. The Jury selection in the case is set to begin on Monday. Menendez will be tried alongside two of his co-defendants, an Egyptian American businessman, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, a New Jersey real estate developer. His wife faces trial in July. Foreign entanglements Hana and Nadine Menendez collaborated to introduce the senator to various Egyptian officials in order to facilitate the procurement of US military aid and an exclusive contract with Hana’s company, according to the indictment. Prosecutors contended that this contract granted Hana’s company the sole authority to certify US food exports to Egypt as meeting halal standards. Menendez, who held influential positions on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time, reportedly met with Hana’s contacts in the Egyptian military multiple times and played a role in directing US military sales and aid to Egypt. Also, the indictment accused Menendez of penning a letter on behalf of the Egyptian government in an effort to convince other senators to release $300 million in aid. In addition to allegedly agreeing to leverage his position for military sales and financing to Egypt, Menendez is accused of sharing sensitive information with his wife about personnel at the US Embassy in Cairo. Prosecutors claim his wife then relayed this information to Hana, who passed it on to an Egyptian government official. Also, the senator purportedly exerted pressure on an official at the Department of Agriculture to safeguard the halal certification monopoly obtained by Hana’s company in Egypt. Prosecutors suggest that Menendez’s wife received compensation for his actions. Prosecutors noted that Menendez’s involvement with foreign governments also extended to Qatari officials. Allegedly, in exchange for gold bars and other items, Menendez assisted his co-defendant Daibes in securing a multimillion-dollar investment from Qatari officials for a real estate project. Prosecutors also alleged that Menendez, using his authority as a senator, sought to sway multiple cases in New Jersey involving his co-defendants. This included conversations with a key prosecutor and efforts to endorse a candidate for the position of New Jersey’s US attorney, whom Menendez believed would assist in dismissing a case against Daibes. As a result of Menendez’s purported influence in one instance, New Jersey businessman Jose Uribe and Hana purportedly purchased a luxury car for Nadine. Uribe later pleaded guilty to seven counts related to the bribery scheme involving Menendez and his co-defendants, agreeing to cooperate with federal prosecutors, including testifying at the trial. Despite Menendez’s alleged efforts, the indictment states that his attempts to influence were unsuccessful, and the case against Daibes in New Jersey continues. Alleged cover-up Following the execution of search warrants at the Menendezes’ residence, where large sums of cash and gold bars were discovered, prosecutors alleged that the senator and his wife tried to conceal the bribes by repaying the businessmen for the mortgage and luxury car, asserting they were loans. According to the indictment, the couple’s attorneys informed prosecutors, based on statements from the couple, that the bribe payments were loans. Prosecutors argued that Menendez had his attorney falsely claim he was unaware of the mortgage and car payments initially. The couple faces charges of obstructing justice. Menendez’s defense Menendez’s attorneys have suggested several potential defences for the trial, including attributing the discovery of 13 gold bars and $480,000 in cash in his home to intergenerational family trauma and a psychological disorder stemming from his father’s suicide. Shortly after his indictment on bribery charges, Menendez stated to reporters that he had withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash over three decades, citing his family’s history of facing confiscation in Cuba. The defence attorneys argue that the trauma and loss of his father contributed to Menendez’s development of unusual coping mechanisms stemming from a fear of scarcity. Menendez may also seek to shift blame onto his wife, Nadine, whose trial was postponed due to a medical issue. Menendez’s defence team stated in a court filing that he intended to argue that he lacked knowledge of much of his wife’s conduct and statements, thus negating any agreement to participate in the alleged conspiracies.

Post Date : May 13, 2024

NLC pickets NERC, DisCos offices over electricity tariff hike

The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) in Jigawa, Imo and Osun State have joined their associates in other states to protest over the electricity tariff hike. The labour union blocked the main gate of the company, leaving the staff of the Distribution Company (DisCo) stranded outside the main building. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had previously announced their intention to shut down offices of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and Distribution Companies (DisCos) nationwide due to their failure to comply with the demand for a total reversal of the electricity tariff hike. In Jigawa on Monday, the NLC in the state picketed the office of NERC and sealed the Kano Electric Distribution Company (KEDCO) district office in Dutse the state capital. The vice chairman of the Nigeria Labor Congress and chairman of the Trade Union Congress state’s branches, comrade Hazakilu Husaini and comrade Bashir Tijjani Abubakar led the other union executives and carried out the exercise, Tribune Online gathered. Also in Imo, The workers of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), and NERC and Distribution Companies (DisCos) were locked out of their offices. Speaking to journalists in Owerri on Monday, the NLC Chairman in Imo State, Comrade Uche Chigamezu Nwigwe noted that the regulatory bodies and EEDC have over one month now thrown Imo residents, especially workers into untold hardship with the exorbitant bill they bring that they did not consume. He said: “The national Secretariat has given them a directive to picket all the offices of NERC, Discos and EEDC in the state starting from today Monday”. Nwigwe regretted that since the 3rd of April 2024 when the Federal Government increased the Electricity tariff to over 200 per cent, he alleged that the distribution bodies have turned Imo workers into milking cows. He noted that the increase in tariff is fraud and criminal because they are paying more now with no lights to show for it. In the same vein, the unions in Osogbo, the state capital of Osun Osun on Monday blocked the main entrance of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Business Hub to protest over the recent hike in electricity tariff. Abimbola Fasasi, TUC Osun State Chairman, said that the protest was to make a statement and let the Federal Government know that the electricity tariff increment was unacceptable by Nigerians. “The FG must reverse its decision on electricity tariff increment. We don’t want it at this time. “The government has to develop and improve on electricity generation and supply. “How many megawatts is Nigeria generating? They are just pumping money into power without results and they want to heap the expenses on Nigerians. “We are saying NO to electricity increment and additional burden on Nigerians and that is why we are here today picketing IBEDC offices,” he said.

Post Date : May 13, 2024

DAILIES TOP STORIES: Labour demands electricity tariff hike reversal as protests begin today

Monday 13 May 2023 National, state assemblies to spend N724bn in 2024 Bank chiefs obtain N549bn insider loans in five years Father faults outcome of coroner’s inquest into British-born daughter’s death Landlady, husband flee after throwing tenant’s corpse into canal Prince Harry, Meghan End Nigeria Tour With Visit To Lagos Rivers’ Lawmakers Who Defected To APC Have Lost Their Seats, Falana Insists Rivers Crisis: Fubara Cannot Tell Legislature Where To Meet, Says Falana At Least 34 Killed In Indonesia Floods, 16 Missing Some Abducted Confluence University Students Rescued – Kogi Govt Police Arrest Father Over ‘Inappropriate’ Video Of Four-Year-Old Daughter SERAP, BudgIT, 136 Nigerians Sue CBN Over Cybersecurity Levy Manufacturing export limps as revenue drops 166% to N778bn Rivers crisis: Tinubu won’t take sides between Wike, Fubara —Presidency Police nab man for kidnapping, killing 6-yr-old cousin in Kaduna Court convicts mother of 5 for forging late Abba Kyari’s signature 95% of informal sector should be exempted from ALL taxes, says Taiwo Oyedele Bala Audu elected NMA president Man who received first-ever pig kidney transplant dies — two months after surgery FAAC: We Can’t Continue Using Bayelsa Money To Develop Other States – Diri Military Uncovers Over 50 Illegal Refining Sites In Bayelsa Forest NDLEA arrests 75-year-old grandpa in Ekiti, 70-year-old grandma in Benue for illicit drugs dealing Pension arrears: Otti should stop deceiving Abians — PDP EFCC to join forces with UK prosecutors in Diezani’s case I’m no longer in party politics, Obasanjo insists Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

Post Date : May 13, 2024

NNPC, NOSL begin production at OML 13, target 40,000 bpd

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Exploration and Production Limited (NNPC E&P) and the Natural Oilfield Services Limited (NOSL) have commenced oil production at oil mining lease (OML) 13. NNPC E&P is a flagship upstream subsidiary of NNPC Limited, while NOSL is a subsidiary of Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO). According to a statement on Sunday by Olufemi Soneye, chief corporate communications officer at NNPC, the production commenced on May 6, 2024, in Akwa Ibom, with 6,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). The national oil company said production is expected to be ramped up to 40,000 bpd by May 27, 2024. The NNPC said the first oil flow from OML 13 is a historic milestone in the partnership between NNPC E&P Ltd and NOSL. According to the statement, the development highlights the firms’ commitment to driving growth and development in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, which remains crucial to the nation’s economy. The NNPC said the achievement signifies the culmination of rigorous planning and execution by the teams involved and represents a new era of economic empowerment and development opportunities for communities where the project is based. “For Nigeria, the first oil from OML 13 holds some significance as it contributes to the country’s efforts to increase its oil production capacity, which is crucial for meeting domestic energy needs and driving economic growth,” the statement reads. The NNPC affirmed its partnership with NOSL, emphasising their dedication to conducting operations in a manner that prioritises safety, environmental responsibility, and positive impact on local communities.

Post Date : May 13, 2024

How underage boys open accounts, get driver’s licences for fraud — EFCC

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has revealed that underage boys, who are into internet fraud popularly called ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ do age declaration to enable them to open bank accounts and get driver’s licences to expend their proceeds from the crimes, as it vowed to go after government agencies and individuals that issue the papers for the fraudulent declarations. The Zonal Director of the EFCC in charge of Edo, Delta and Ondo states, Effa Okim, stated this in Benin City, while on a courtesy visit to the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, led by Festus Alenkhe. He also disclosed that Edo State was second to Lagos in terms of convictions despite the small size of the state. Okim said parents who normally claim that their children were underage when convicted would also go in for it for their complicity in the forgery of documents. He said: “Crime, what we call yahoo yahoo is visible in our streets. When you walk on our streets, when you visit our hotels per second, you see these boys and it is so visible that it is disturbing and in addition to being visible, the statistics that we have is that Edo is after Lagos in terms of conviction. “It calls for concern because in terms of size, Edo is not big but look at the slant on the level of convictions, it is not a good reputation and for me. Edo is too great in Nigerian history to be reduced to that level in terms of criminality. “When you hear that a 12-year-old boy has been sent to jail, that in law he is not supposed to go jail because he is underage but it happens here often because they go and agree with some authorities and do age declaration stating that they are 18 just to enable them to open an account and put their criminal structures in place and at the end, when they are arrested, their father will come to say their children are underage. “We are asking them where were you when he got his driver’s licence, where were you when your underage son opened an account because in the Nigerian law, an underage cannot open an account? Where were you when your son was irresponsibly spending money?” He said the commission in line with its mandate and vision was ready to partner with the media “to reduce the visibility of crime on our streets.” On his part, Alenkhe urged the new zonal director to maintain an open-door policy to always make information available to journalists.