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Post Date : June 19, 2024

BREAKING: After recruitment outburst, police commission asks Tinubu to fire IG Egbetekun

  The Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission, has called on President Bola Tinubu, to relieve the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over his alleged meddlesomeness in the recent recruitment of police constables. During a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja, the union also alleged that some top officers within the Nigerian Police Force, tried to smuggle names during the recruitment process. The aggrieved members of the union while singing protest songs, described the reactions of the NPF as diversionary tactics. According to them, NPF intends to prevent the president from noticing the unpreparedness of the police training schools, to handle the training of the recruits, owing to the sorry states of the facilities. The move comes after the PSC recently released 10,000 names of successful candidates employed from the recent recruitment exercise by the commission.   The list was later rejected by the NPF, who described the recruitment process as fraudulent.

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Post Date : June 19, 2024

Court documents show how ‘$6.2m stolen from CBN was shared’

  Documents have shown how the $6,230,000 cash allegedly stolen from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on February 8, 2023, was shared. President Bola Tinubu had set up a special investigative team, led by Jim Obaze, to probe the tenure of Godwin Emefiele, former CBN governor. The team had claimed that $6.2 million was removed from the apex bank’s vault under the guise of paying election observers. Emefiele is standing trial on a 20-count amended criminal charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The amended charges border on alleged criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, procurement fraud and conspiracy to commit a felony. According to the amended charge marked CR/577/2023, Emefiele, on February 8, 2023, connived with Odoh Ocheme, who is now on the run, to obtain $6.2 million from the CBN, claiming that the SGF requested it “vide a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201″. In the court documents, investigators characterised the crime as an insider job primarily carried out by CBN staff members with the cooperation of two outsiders known as Adamu Abubakar and Imam Abubakar. Investigators claimed that Odoh Eric Ocheme, Emefiele’s personal assistant, received $3,730,000 of the funds, with three other people splitting the remaining $2,500,000. Ocheme was said to have justified his lion’s share by claiming he had to pay other interests he had within the apex bank. Some of the beneficiaries were said to have invested their shares of the loot, estimated at N1.4 billion, in real estate, part of which has now been recovered. Some of the details of the investigation are contained in an affidavit filed alongside an extradition charge pending against Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar and Odoh Eric Ocheme before the Abuja federal high court. Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar and Ocheme are said to be at large and are believed to have fled the country, hence, the extradition proceedings. In the affidavits, one of the investigators, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), said the team obtained copies of the withdrawal slip as well as the accompanying documents, CBN memos, dated 07/02/2023 and 31/01/2023 respectively. They also obtained “a letter dated 2/01/2023 purportedly written by Muhammadu Buhari to Boss Mustapha and a letter dated 20/01/2023 purportedly written by Boss Mustapha to Mr Godwin Emafiele, which the Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja Branch relied on in making the payment”. The DSP said investigations revealed that both letters were forged and did not emanate from the office of the then president and SGF. At the same time, Jibril Abubakar, whose identity card was used to cash the money in question, was not a staff of the SGF office. HOW COLLABORATORS INVESTED ‘STOLEN FUND’ IN REAL ESTATE “We watched the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footages of the 08/02/2023 being the day the money in question was cashed, and the payee (Jibril Abubakar) could not be identified by the staff of either the CBN or that of the office of the secretary to the government of the federation, where he falsely represented himself to be working,” the document read “A further study of the Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) footage revealed that a staff of the Abuja Branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria, identified as Abdulmajeed Muhammad received the impostor (Jibril Abubakar) at the gate of the bank when he arrived on the fateful date: 08/02/2023. “Abdulmajeed Muhammad was consequently arrested and in his statement made on 15/12/2023, he admitted helping the impostor into the Abuja Branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria, but claimed that he did that innocently, the impostor having been referred to him by Bashirudeen Maishanu; a Senior Staff of the CBN. “Abdulmajeed Muhammad further revealed that prior to 08/02/2023 when the impostor came to cash the money in question, he (Abdulmajeed Muhammad) had been invited by Bashirudeen Maishanu to explain the procedure of public officials making cash withdrawal from the CBN as those persons claimed to be officials from the office of the SGF and that the then president had approved certain fund for official assignment. “We visited Kuje Correctional Centre, where we interviewed Godwin Emefiele, who purportedly approved the memos authorising the payment, as then CBN and he denied seeing, talk less of approving such memos. “We also arrested some concerned staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, who denied any involvement in the crime, before we finally arrested Bashirudeen Maishanu, who corroborated the account of Abdulmajeed Muhammad and further confessed to have been involved in the crime which, according to him was perpetrated by himself and the first to third defendants/respondents – Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar and Odoh Eric Ocheme. “Bashiru Maishanu further confessed that himself, the first and second defendants/respondents (Adamu Abubakar and Imam Abubakar) shared the sum of $2,500,000.00 from the stolen money, while the third defendant/respondent (Odoh Eric Ocheme), being a fellow staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, kept the balance of $3,730,000.00 claiming that he had other interests to settle in the CBN. “Bashirudeen Maishanu further confessed that both himself, and the first and second defendants/respondents jointly invested the United States dollars equivalent of the sum of N1, 440,000,000.00 into real estate business of Afrolyk Global Ltd. “The managing director of the said Afrolyk Ltd, Aminu Lawal has been arrested and he confirmed the investment by Bashirudeen Maishanu, Adamu Abubakar and Imam Abubakar, and already refunded the sum of $200 000 00 to the special investigator’s team as part of the money he (Aminu Lawal) received as part of the purported investment. “Cash of about $400,000 00 has also been voluntarily returned by Bashiru Maishanu from part of his remaining share of the money in question. “The money (the $6,230,000) was received in cash from the Central Bank at Nigeria and also shared in the same cash by the defendants/respondents and others, making it difficult to trace the monies without arresting the defendants/respondents. “It was later revealed that the third defendant – Odoh Eric Ocheme – was the Personal Assistant to Godwin Emefiele

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Post Date : June 19, 2024

FG offers 17 new oil blocks for bidding

  The Federal Government, on Tuesday, announced the addition of 17 deep offshore oil blocks to the 2024 Licensing Round for oil fields in Nigeria. Recall that some deep offshore blocks were recently put on offer for the 2022/23 mini-bid round and other blocks which cut across onshore, continental shelf and deep offshore terrains were also put on offer for the Nigeria 2024 Licencing Round. Precisely on May 8, the government invited investors to bid for 12 oil blocks and seven deep offshore assets in the 2024 marginal fields bid round. Also on June 12, 2024, it was reported that the Federal government had increased the number of oil blocks on offer in the 2024 marginal bid round. The Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe, disclosed this at the pre-bid conference for the 2024 licencing round in Lagos. Providing updates on the 2022/2023 and 2024 licencing rounds, Komolafe, in a statement he signed and issued in Abuja on Tuesday, said 17 deep offshore blocks have been added to the 2024 Licensing Round. He said, “In pursuit of the commission’s commitment to derive value from the country’s abundant oil and gas reserves and increase production, the commission has been working assiduously with multi-client companies to undertake more exploratory activities to acquire more data to foster and encourage further investment in the Nigerian upstream sector. “As a result of additional data acquired in respect of deep offshore blocks, the commission has added 17 deep offshore blocks to the 2024 Licensing Round. Further details on the blocks can be found on the bid portal.” Komolafe further stated that “by the published guidelines, we had earlier indicated that some of the assets on offer should be applied for as clusters, namely: PPL 300-CS & PPL 301-CS, PPL 2000 and PPL 2001. Bidders are hereby advised that they may, at their option, bid for those blocks as clusters or as single units.” For clarification, he said bidders should refer to the Frequently Asked Questions Sections of the 2022/23 and 2024 Licensing Round portals, or contact the upstream regulatory agency. The NUPRC boss also stated that to allow interested investors to take advantage of the expanded opportunities, the 2024 Licencing Round schedule had been amended. He said, “Registration/submission of pre-qualification documents which was initially scheduled to close on June 25, 2024, has been extended by 10 days and will now close on July 5, 2024. “Data access/data purchase/evaluation/bid preparation and submission which was initially scheduled to open on July 4, 2024, and close on 29/11/24 will now start on July 8, 2024, and close on 29/11/24 as previously scheduled. “All other dates in the published 2024 licencing round schedule remain the same unless otherwise communicated.” He stated that to vacate entry barriers, the commission had sought and obtained the approval of President Bola Tinubu, who, as petroleum minister, approved attractive fiscal regimes and also minimised entry fees for both licencing rounds by putting a cap on the signature bonus payable for the award of the acreages. “Consequently, it is necessary to ensure that the same bid criteria (in addition to the uniform signature bonus criteria) are applicable for both licencing rounds, to promote transparency and provide a level playing ground for all bidders. “Since the criteria for the award of the oil blocks are now much more attractive than they initially were during the 2022/23 Mini Bid Round, it is in the interest of equity and fair play to give all investors the same opportunity to bid for the assets,” Komolafe stated. Based on this, he declared that all blocks in the 2022/23 and 2024 Licencing Rounds were now available to all interested investors the websites developed for the exercise by the NUPRC, adding that the 2022/23 Mini Bid Round registration phase had been reopened to new applicants. “The public is therefore invited to take advantage of this development and attractive entry terms and conditions and participate in the exercise. “However, all the pre-qualified applicants published on the 2022/23 Mini Bid Round portal will not be required to go through a new pre-qualification process, as their technical submissions remain valid and eligible even for the 2024 Licencing Round. “They may, however, wish to re-submit new commercial bids to take advantage of the more attractive criteria applicable to both licencing rounds and revise their bid bonds to adapt to the new bid criteria. They are also free to bid for blocks on offer in the 2024 Licencing Round,” Komolafe stated.

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Post Date : June 19, 2024

Court denies suspended DCP Abba Kyari bail

  The Federal High Court in Abuja has denied bail to suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari. In his ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite stated that the decision to grant bail lies within the court’s discretion, in accordance with section 161 (2) of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act (ACJA). Justice Nwite noted that Kyari had not provided sufficient evidence to justify granting him bail. He explained that bail is typically granted if the alleged offenses carry a sentence of two years, per section 162 of the ACJA. However, in Kyari’s case, the charges could result in a maximum sentence of 25 years, making bail inappropriate.   Previously, on May 22nd, the judge had granted Kyari a temporary two-week bail to allow him to attend his mother’s burial rites. This period was later extended by a week following Kyari’s application for an extension. Kyari met the bail conditions and was released on June 1st. During today’s proceedings, Justice Nwite declined to extend the earlier bail order but agreed to accelerate the hearing of the case

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Post Date : June 19, 2024

Ramaphosa Sworn In For Second Full Term As South Africa’s President

  South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in for a second full term as president in Pretoria on Wednesday, after his weakened African National Congress (ANC) struck a government coalition deal. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo led Ramaphosa’s oath of office ceremony before lawmakers, foreign dignitaries, religious and traditional leaders and cheering supporters at the Union Buildings, the seat of government. “In the presence of everyone assembled here, and in full realisation of the high calling I assume as President… I Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa swear that I will be faithful to the Republic of South Africa,” Ramaphosa said.   Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to re-elect the 71-year-old last week, after a May 29 general election that produced no outright winner. Numerous heads of state, including Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Angola’s Joao Lourenco, Congo Brazzaville’s Denis Sassou Nguesso and Eswatini’s absolute leader King Mswati III attended the inauguration. Guests in suits, fancy dresses and coats to keep warm in the chilly winter weather started to arrive early in the morning amid a heavy police presence. VIPs, some singing anti-apartheid struggle songs, were allowed into a small amphitheatre within the imposing, sandstone government building. Other attendees, some holding South African flags, sat on a lawn outside as dancers and musicians performed on a big stage. After Ramaphosa took the oath, a band played the national anthem, followed by a 21-gun salute and a fly past by army helicopters towing large South African flags. Third time lucky It was the third time Ramaphosa took the oath. The former trade unionist turned millionaire businessman first came to power in 2018, after his predecessor and rival Jacob Zuma was forced out before the end of his term under the cloud of corruption allegations. Ramaphosa was then re-appointed for a full five-year term in 2019. In South Africa, voters elect the parliament which then votes for the president. Ramaphosa promised a new dawn for South Africa, launched an anti-graft drive and started to reform a collapsing energy system. But under his watch, the economy languished, blighted by power cuts, crime remained rife and unemployment increased to 32.9 percent. In May, he led the ANC into yet another vote, but the historied party of the late Nelson Mandela came out bruised.   It won only 40 percent — down from 57.5 percent five years earlier. For the first time since the advent of democracy in 1994, it lost its absolute majority in parliament and was left scrambling to find coalition partners to remain in power. It has since agreed to form what it calls a national unity government with several other parties. They include the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party, the anti-immigration Patriotic Alliance and the small centre-left GOOD party. The deal allowed Ramaphosa to comfortably see off a last-minute challenge by firebrand leftist politician Julius Malema, with 283 lawmakers in the 400-seat National Assembly voting to put him back in office. But it has faced a vociferous opposition from the left, with Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters and former president Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) refusing to take part and denouncing the inclusion of right-wing parties and the white-led, free-market DA. MK came third in the election but has contested the results. Party spokesman Nhlamulo Ndhlela said in a statement that its lawmakers would snub the “farcical inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa as the puppet DA-sponsored President”, also using a racial slur to describe the ANC leader. Ramaphosa is expected to announce his cabinet within days of his inauguration, as talks with coalition members continue. AFP

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Post Date : June 19, 2024

Lawmakers Urge Fubara To Charge Ex-LG Bosses With Treason

  Some members of the House of Representatives under the aegis of G-60 have urged Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to charge former local government chairmen in the state with treason for attempting to continue in office despite the expiration of their three-year tenure.   The group led by the lawmaker representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, stated this at a press briefing held in Abuja on Tuesday. Aliyu Mustapha (PDP, Kaduna), Matthew Nwogu (LP, Imo) and Midaila Usman(PDP, Borno) were also at the press briefing. Ugochinyere said, “We also appreciate Governor Siminalayi Fubara for being a democratic leader. Despite all the provocation, he allowed the former local government chairmen to complete their three-year tenure unlike his predecessor, who upon election in 2015, dissolved the local government chairmen under Governor Amaechi despite order of court. “We wish to call on the government of Rivers State to immediately prepare treason charges against the 23 former LGA chairmen and their sponsors and co-conspirators for the failed attempt to unlawfully takeover the government of the 23 LGA knowing full well that their tenure had elapsed and they are no longer local government chairmen.” “Section 37 Criminal Code Act (1) provides that “Any person who levies war against the State, in order to intimidate or overawe the President or the Governor of a State, is guilty of treason, and is liable to the punishment of death.   “(2) Any person conspiring with any person, either within or without Nigeria, to levy war against the State with intent to cause such levying of war as would be treason if committed by a citizen of Nigeria, is guilty of treason and is liable to the punishment of death: “Provided that nothing in this section shall prevent any act from being treason which is so by the laws of England as in force in Nigeria,” he added.

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Post Date : June 19, 2024

Fubara orders audit of LGAs accounts in Rivers

  Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has ordered the audit of the accounts of the 23 Local Government Areas for the past three years. Fubara gave the order to the Auditor General of the state on Wednesday while swearing in the Caretaker Committee Chairmen of the local councils at the Executive Council Chamber of the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital. The governor said the audit of the accounts is intended to serve as a check for the incoming chairmen and make the local councils more accountable.   Fubara urged the caretaker chairmen to protect the interests of their people and demonstrate that the government was right in appointing them. The governor also ordered a probe of the tenures of the outgoing local government chairmen. Details later…

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Post Date : June 19, 2024

Fubara swears in Rivers Caretaker Committee Chairmen

  Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has sworn in new caretaker chairmen for the 23 local government areas of the state. The swearing-in was done on Wednesday at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital amid tight security. Vanguard gathered that the first batch of 11 CTC chairmen are taking their oath of office. The swearing-in comes a day after he forwarded the list to the state House of Assembly led by factional Speaker, Victor Jumbo. Recall that the lawmakers had invited the nominees for screening as early as 8 am on Wednesday. Here are the names of the nominated caretaker chairmen below: Abua/Odua LGA – Madigai Dickson Ahoada East LGA – Happy Benneth Ahoada West LGA – Mr. Daddy John Green Akuku Toru LGa – Otonye Briggs Andoni LGA – Reginald Ekaan Asari Toru LGA – Orolosoma Amachree Bonny LGA – Alabota Anengi Barasua Degema LGA – Anthony Soberekon Eleme LGA – Brain Gokpa Emouha LGA – David Omereji Etche LGA – John Otamiri Gokana LGA – Kenneth Kpeden Ikwerre LGA – Darlington Orji Khana LGA – Marvin Yobana Obia/Akpor LGA – Chijioke Ihunwo Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA – Princewill Ejekwe Ogu/Bolo LGA – Evans Bipi Okrika LGA – Princess Ogan Omuma LGA – Promise Reginald Opobo/Nkoro LGA – Enyiada Cookey-Gam Oyigbo LGA – – Gogo Philip Port Harcourt LGA – Ichemati Ezebunwo Tai LGA – Matthew Dike The development adds another twist to the political crisis in the state months after the Rivers Assembly passed the Local Government Amendment Bill into law. While Fubara did not assent to the bill, the lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule vetoed him. The law empowered the Rivers State Assembly to extend the tenure of council chairpersons, their vice, and councillors where it is deemed impossible to hold elections before the end of their three-year tenure. But a court nullified the amended law, prompting an appeal. The appeal court is set to deliver a ruling on the matter on June 20, 2024.

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Post Date : June 19, 2024

Husband and wife arrested for human trafficking in Anambra

  Anambra State Government through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare has handed a couple and an accomplice to the police over alleged human trafficking in Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state. This was made known in a statement by the media aide to the Women Affairs Commissioner, Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, on Facebook on Tuesday. According to the statement, the arrest was made possible after the community chairman, Mr Arinzechukwu Azodo, notified the Women Affairs Commissioner, Ify Obinabo, about a suspected trafficking incident in the community. According to Mr Azodo, he was alerted by his team commander over a report of suspected trafficking taking place in the community and quickly informed the commissioner, who instructed him to arrest the suspects.   Upon arrest, it was discovered that the suspects were about to seal a deal worth one million naira. One of the suspects, Ebere, confessed that she was approached by another suspect, Temple Nwankwo, who offered to sell her twin baby. Ebere claimed she agreed to partner with Temple and link her up with a prospective buyer. However, Temple denied any involvement in the alleged transaction. The statement said, “Ebere said she accepted to partner with her and went further to link her up to a prospective buyer who needed a male child urgently. Ebere in her confession said that after their negotiation, they agreed to meet at Oye Agu to further seal the transaction but instead, Temple requested an instant payment of one million naira in her account which the buyer objected to because he hadn’t seen the baby in question which brought disagreement among them before Temple changed her mind and left them. “On the alleged seller’s part, Temple Nwankwo from Enugu State but resident at Ifitedunu, she denied ever having to be in any type of business with Ebere but explained that she only reconnected with her when she was four months pregnant. Temple in her defence said it was Ebere who actually asked for her help in getting a male child because she’s not been able to have a child of her own. “Temple in her confession said, after Ebere made the request, she warned her to never involve her in such and that since that day, Ebere has been coming to her house in her absence meeting her daughter even after her several warnings to her. The investigation revealed that Temple had been accused of human trafficking by some community members, who claimed that she and her husband, Ndubuisi Nwankwo, were involved in the business. When questioned about the whereabouts of her two children, Temple claimed they were dead, but her story raised suspicions. The statement added, “It will interest you to know that, some members of the community alleged that Temple is into the trafficking business with her husband Ndubuisi Nwankwo as an accomplice because they have not seen some of her children for a very long time. “When the couple were asked the whereabouts of the two kids, they claimed that they were dead but when asked about the people present when they were buried, they stated no one has ever been around to witness the burial of the two children. “It was at this point that the Honourable Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare Anambra, Obinabo, who was visibly sad over the incident, handed them over to the police for investigation and prosecution.” The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Obinabo, handed the suspects over to the police for investigation and prosecution, reiterating the state government’s commitment to ending human trafficking. She urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the ministry.

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Post Date : June 19, 2024

DAILIES TOP STORIES: Mayhem in Rivers as Wike, Fubara feud spills to LG HQs

  Wednesday 19 June 2024 Nigerians not alone in poverty: Atiku, LP tackle Tinubu Japa: Shortage of bricklayers, roofers, carpenters hits UK Controversial prophecy sparks crisis in Ebonyi community CDS to troops: Be loyal, shun enemies of the state Stop storing cooked food in refrigerator for more than three days -NAFDAC June 12: Other heroes who dared military jackboots to restore democracy Minimum Wage: Why Workers Deserve Reasonable Adjustments – Fashola Bandits Kill Six, Raze Houses In Kaduna Communities Rivers Crisis: Fubara Convenes Security Meeting, Vows To Protect Supporters NUPRC Extends 2024 Licencing Bid Registration By 10 Days Lawmakers Urge Fubara To Charge Ex-LG Bosses With Treason Nvidia overtakes Microsoft, becomes world’s most valuable company UNIBEN graduate ‘beaten, raped to death’ in Edo Ex-senate president Bukola Saraki loses mother How PSC, NPF Dispute Stalls Recruitment Of 10,000 Police Sallah: 9 Killed, 78 Injured In Osun, Ondo, Oyo Road Crashes – FRSC Many power firms in developing countries ill-equipped to meet rising demand —World Bank N17b debt: 13 banks, 60 officials face contempt charges Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

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