Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 6th November 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 06/11/21
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How Cross River State Indicted EFCC Secretary, Others For Mismanaging Millions Of Naira
Former Cross River State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Joe Oshie Abang.
Letter to the Commissioner for Finance seeking approval for revenue heads and codes.
Letter approving the revenue heads and codes.
The new Secretary for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Barrister George Abang Ekpungu, is facing an indictment from the Cross River State Government for unaccounted N2.5 million.
In May 2018, Ekpungu received the sum of N2.5 million from the Ministry of Lands and Urban Planning for residential accommodation while serving as a Commissioner for New Cities Development.
But he had failed to account for the money, according to the State Auditor-General, Mr. John Odey, in his annual report on the accounts of the State Government in 2020 published last July.
In records obtained by the CrossRiverWatch, the payment had voucher No. MLD/INT/13/2018 with Ekpungu as payee.
The Auditor-General in his report to the House of Assembly confirmed that Ekpungu had not accounted for the money.
The EFCC Scribe did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the indictment.
Other politicians indicted in the audit report include the former Cross River Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Barrister Joe Oshie Abang and the State Bureau of Public Private Partnership (BPPP) Director-General, Mr. Udiba Effiong Udiba.
Abang was accused in the audit report for mismanaging over N100 million while Udiba failed to account for N1.1 million generated from partners registration fee.
The trio were indicted by the Section 125(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and section 4(3) of the Audit Law (CAP A 20) of the laws of Cross River State 2004 which empowers the Auditor-General to audit the State Government’s accounts and submit findings to the House of Assembly.
According to the audit report, the State Ministry of Justice account was used fraudulently by Abang to withdraw over N23 million without due authorization.
So far, the report pointed out, only N18.1 million has been refunded, remaining a balance over N5 million.
Abang was also indicted for over N131 million that he had not unaccounted for in 2018 and 2019.
The current Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Barrister Tanko Ashang confirmed the allegations against Abang in the audit report.
But Abang made fun of CrossRiverWatch when he was reached for a comment.
“How is the business of fake news?” he said.
Immediately he was corrected that this newspaper is a fact-based outfit, he said, “I don’t talk to people I don’t know, I’m in the AG’s office now, come to my office tomorrow at CICC.”
Former Cross River State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Joe Oshie Abang.
GHC/Dan Williams.
The other indicted politician Mr. Udiba Udiba, the State Director-General of Bureau of Public Private Partnership collected N1.1 million without accounting for it, according to the audit report.
Mr. Edem Offiong, a BPPP Cashier was also charged with issuing receipts amounting to N100,000 as registration fee but did not account for the money he made from the receipts.
“The documentation and approval is available but this is mischievous,” Udiba told CrossRiverWatch.
He declined further comment on the indictment, insisting that he did not want to be distracted.
A source in BPPP who spoke to CrossRiverWatch on the condition of anonymity for security reasons, said: “The Auditor-General didn’t explain it properly. The N1,100,000 is not for 2020 as he made it seem. It’s an accumulation from 2016.”
The source pointed out that “the registration fee he called illegal is PPP council registration fee capped at N100,000 per project and an account exists for that which is the imprest account for the office.”
Letter to the Commissioner for Finance seeking approval for revenue heads and codes.
Letter approving the revenue heads and codes.
Abusers Of Power Should Be Brought To Book
Barrister Akwaji Don-Henry, an open governance and accountability crusader said those indicted in the audit report should be charged to court.
“Abuse of power is unlawful,” said Don-Henry. “Anything not properly done is unlawful and when something is unlawful it is against the rule of law. If anyone does anything outside the scope of the law, the person is no longer acting on behalf of the state which is the owner of the law,” he added.
Akwaji further stated that “acting to your wings and capricious will amount to penalties. If anyone abuses the office given to the person that means the person has departed from the mandate that is entrusted to him and the person must be brought to book.”
However, the member representing Biase in the House of Assembly, Hon. Ogbor Ogbor who is the Ad Hoc Committee on Public Accounts Chairman confirmed to CrossRiverWatch that his committee received the report and had met with the Auditor-General.
“All I can say is that, with the report sent to our committee, we had a fair hearing meeting with the Auditor-General, Accountant-General and some other key officers involved,” Ogbor said.
“The next stage is to invite the MDAs involved. It is not right talking about it though. We have not looked at it thoroughly. The NLC strike is what is keeping us. Once the strike is over, we will meet with the MDAs.”
– This story was produced in partnership with Civic Media Lab under Grassroots News Project.
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Abandoned Government Electricity Project Leaves Badagry Community In Darkness For Decades
A view of abandoned electricity poles in Gberefu community.
This transformer, a constituency project of Mrs Rafeeqaut Onabamiro, has been rusting away since 2012.
Traditional ruler of Gberefu community, Mr. Najeem Sanni.
Two of the several abandoned electricity poles.
Two poles close to the transformer. There is an inconsistency between these and the year the project was commissioned.
A close shot of one of the electricity poles.
Information on the abandoned transformer.
Pupils of LA Primary School, Keta West, Badagry studying with improvised school furniture. Photo credit: Omolola Afolabi/Humangle
A combined class of primary three and four at LA Primary School, Keta West, Badagry.
Another class of primary two pupils at LA Primary School, Keta West.
Lagos teachers displaying the Eko Excel tablet.
The premises of Wilson Memorial School,Yovoyan, Badagry.
Gberefu is a coastal community of mostly farmers and fishers in Badagry, a border town in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria. It was from here that thousands of Nigerians were kept and sold during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The sites and relics of that history are still there to remind visitors of the tourism allure of the community.
Many tourists and historians visit the town and regard it highly. Marlon Jackson, brother to late pop-icon, Michael Jackson, had once visited the waterside community with plans to build memorabilia that will cater to the country’s growing tourism industry, particularly African-American tourists who wish to trace their Nigerian roots.
A view of abandoned electricity poles in Gberefu community.
Omolola Afolabi/HumAngle
Despite the community’s illumination on African history, it has remained in darkness.
In 20017, more than 50 electricity poles and transformers suddenly surfaced in Gberefu, to the delight of residents. The poles were installed from Aivoji, a neighbouring community and extended to Ganyingbo, and Yovoyan, ending at neighbouring Ilaje community. It was a project meant to bring electricity to the residents.
The community expected the electrification project to kick-off immediately and open up the town to tourists and businesses. But it never did. Residents are still waiting, decades later.
Today, the transformers rust away while the poles have become abodes for termites and rodents. It was a hope dashed and money wasted.
This transformer, a constituency project of Mrs Rafeeqaut Onabamiro, has been rusting away since 2012.
Omolola Afolabi/HumAngle
A mystery project
No one in the community seems to have any useful information concerning the project, including the traditional ruler, Najeem Sanni. He claims that the electricity project was abandoned for a proposed deep sea port project that never took off.
The story in the community is that some contractors had surfaced after the equipment was delivered. After informing Sanni that an electricity project would be delivered to the community, the engineers visited a few times and disappeared.
Traditional ruler of Gberefu community, Mr. Najeem Sanni.
Omolola Afolabi/HumAngle
The contractor, Tommy Construction Company, Iwoye-Yewa Ogun, has a website but the address on the site could not be traced. The phone number on the website also connected to a wrong user when our reporter called the number.
Two of the several abandoned electricity poles.
Omolola Afolabi/HumAngle
Efforts to track the company on the Corporate Affairs Commission website also didn’t yield any fruit as the system responded with “no record found.”
Some residents, following up on why the project was abandoned, told HumAngle it was a project of the Directorate of Food, Roads, and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI), established in 1991 under the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida. However, no record was provided to support this.
DFRRI was established to, among others, provide economic and social infrastructure, including Feeder Roads, mobilisation for mass participation in rural development, production of agricultural inputs, and the development and dissemination of improved technology to enhance agricultural and rural housing.
Two poles close to the transformer. There is an inconsistency between these and the year the project was commissioned.
Omolola Afolabi/HumAngle
Mr Sunny Ajose, who was said to have overseen the project, did not respond to calls and text messages.
Many young people in the community, like Jimoh Salako, the youth leader, grew up watching the utility poles rust. Salako told Humangle that the electricity infrastructure was part of the coastal road project that was intended to link Badagry to the Tarkwa Bay area of Lagos.
This reporter also visited the Lagos State Government Secretariat in Alausa to make further enquiries at the ministries of works, agriculture, and rural development to find out which is responsible for the defunct DFRRI.
The Director of Public Relations at the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Jide Lawal, said that DFRRI was most likely inherited by the Ministry of Rural Development and Community Service.
HumAngle reached out to the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs without getting any useful clue.
An official of the Lagos State Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development said that the project can only be taken over and completed after express permission from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
A close shot of one of the electricity poles.
Omolola Afolabi/HumAngle
“Even when we create a scheme for rural infrastructure, we still have to liaise with the energy ministry; they, in turn, will work with the electricity company to see how the community can be connected to the grid,” he said.
David Otu, the Media Assistant to the Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency, Ahmad Salihijo, in response to the query the reporter made to the agency in Abuja, requested for details of the project on a project sign post.
This reporter was, however, only able to provide the information on the transformer and the pole because the sign post had since been lost.
“Since this is all we have, no REA signboard, I have doubts if this project is ours. But I’ve forwarded all the images to the technical team,” he said.
There was no further communication from Otu afterwards.
Information on the abandoned transformer.
Omolola Afolabi/HumAngle
Further findings reveal that the transformers were separately provided as a Zonal Intervention Project of the Federal Government. Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIP) popularly known as constituency projects are nominated by lawmakers in the National Assembly (NASS) to serve members of their constituents.
Investigations show that the lawmaker, Rafeeqaut Onabamiro, who represented Badagry between 2011 and 2015 in the Federal House of Representatives, facilitated the electrification project.
The federal government allocates N100 billion yearly for the execution of constituency projects.
In a telephone conversation with Onabamiro, she said that the transformers given to the Gberefu community, is one of her projects in fulfillment of her campaign promises.
“I only had an obligation to deliver the transformers, it wasn’t part of my duty to get them electrified,” she said. She further explained that it is the community’s duty to get the transformer working as it is not part of her campaign promises.
The lawmaker’s Personal Assistant, Rasheed Kuponu, told this reporter that the Energy Commission of Nigeria undertook the project in 2012. Director-General of the Commission, Mr Eli Jideere Baale, did not respond to emails sent to him.
Gberefu has remained a dark relic of the country’s history while its residents remain desperate and frustrated. They are left to the option of generators, to live like other Nigerians, with its attendant health and environmental implications.
Absence of electricity causing low school enrollment
On a hot Tuesday afternoon in October, pupils at the Local Authority School Keta-West, listen attentively as their teacher walks them through the lesson of the day. It is the only public school for children in Gberefu.
Pupils, wearing pink uniforms, sit on cement bricks in rapt attention as their teacher continues with her lesson.
Pupils of LA Primary School, Keta West, Badagry studying with improvised school furniture. Photo credit: Omolola Afolabi/Humangle
Their teacher, Moriamo Agbatumo, who teaches a combined class of primary two and three, gives them an assignment to be submitted by the end of the week. She is, however, worried that many of them will struggle to do it.
“When I ask them why they don’t do their assignments, they say they don’t have light to do it when they get home,” she told Humangle, and added that many of her pupils have to study with lanterns and candles.
A combined class of primary three and four at LA Primary School, Keta West, Badagry.
Omolola Afolabi/Humangle
The reporter visited Sito-Gbethrome School which offers secondary level teaching to students coming from LA West Primary School, Keta West. The Principal, Agnes Oladapo, said she had thought the students do not enrol as a result of bad roads but she later realised that the power problem discouraged many from furthering their education.
The Principal said, of the 31 students posted to the school by the state government from Keta West, only six showed up in the ongoing registration process for the 2020/2021 session after six weeks of resumption.
Pupils of LA Primary School, Keta West sleeping during school hours as a result of inadequate teachers. Photo credit: Omolola Afolabi/Humangle
She added that 16 out of the 24 students from the school registered at their secondary school for the 2019/2020 academic session and only six of the 13 pupils posted from LA Primary School, Keta West registered at her school in 2017.
The above estimate shows a steady decline in the number of pupils who enrol in the secondary school from the only public primary school in Gberefu community.
Another teacher in the school, who didn’t want to be named for fear of government backlash, insisted on simply being addressed as “Miss Yemisi.” She bemoaned how the continual blackout affects the children’s psyche. She noted that students are forced to go to bed without studying.
Another class of primary two pupils at LA Primary School, Keta West.
Omolola Afolabi/HumAngle
“My pupils do not even return their take-home assignments due to the lack of motivation they experience as a result of the age-long blackout,” she said.
“Many of my classmates have dropped out of school because of the light and the bad roads,” said Adoration Agbagba, who just graduated from Badagry Model College.
The 19-year-old told Humangle that the lack of power has frustrated her education. “The lack of light has affected our lives in several ways. One of them is the fact that we spend money on buying lanterns, candles, and kerosene every day.”
“When the lantern goes off, I lose the motivation to study as there is no alternative to continue. We sleep in the dark every day. If there was power, it would enable us to stay focused because, despite the struggle with light, I still managed to complete my secondary education.”
Eko Excel, not here
In Jan. 2019, the Lagos State Government in collaboration with the state education board under the Eko Excel program gave teachers and students a tablet and headset.
Lagos teachers displaying the Eko Excel tablet.
Eko Excel
The programme, according to Governor Sanwo-Olu, is to equip pupils in the state’s public schools with ICT skills that would keep them at par with their counterparts globally.
Some of the teachers were seen using the device to teach their students, but a lot of students have stopped using their devices because they don’t have electricity at home and at the school to power them on. The devices were given to them to help enhance audio learning and phonics. According to one of their teachers, many parents “can’t afford generators and fuel.”
Brilliant school records
Despite the poor condition of learning in the community, those who managed to go to school show signs of academic excellence—a statement to the authorities on what the people can achieve if provided necessary amenities.
Available records show that students in the community recorded a 100% pass rate in the 2014 Common Entrance examinations. Gberefu and neighbouring Yovoyan communities with a population of over 4,000 people, have only two schools.
The proprietor of the only private school, Wilson Memorial Nursery and Primary school, Mr Innocent Glasglo, said the poor number of schools and state of the communities is responsible for its lack of basic infrastructure.
The premises of Wilson Memorial School,Yovoyan, Badagry.
The school records show that in 2015, out of 19, seven scored above 60 cut-off marks; in 2016, there were three fails and in 2017, only three pupils scored above 50 out of a total of 19 pupils who sat for the Common Entrance Examinations. This is evident of a decline in the number of passes.
Glasgo said many pupils can’t use gadgets like tablets that would help them learn and carry out research on their own.
A key administrator in the school told this reporter many times that the number of pupils from the school posted by the Lagos State Government doesn’t correspond with the number who sat for the exams.
“I understand better the plight of those students now,” the principal said, adding that the electricity problems can impede the learning process of young learners.
This story was produced in partnership with Civic Media Lab under the Grassroots News Project
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BREAKING: Fire Guts Kubwa Village Market Abuja, Many Feared Dead
The popular Kubwa Village Market in the Bwari Area Council, Abuja, is currently on fire, leading to the death of an unspecified number of persons.
The incident which occurred on Friday evening razed down several shops.
SaharaReporters Media
According to Daily Post, although details of the inferno are still sketchy as of press time, a source disclosed that the incident followed a tanker explosion close to the market.
According to her, many corpses have been recovered from the scene of the incident.
The incident comes a few days after a 21-storey building collapsed on Gerrard Road, in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State.
SaharaReporters had earlier published on Thursday that the figure of victims confirmed dead at the site of the crumbled building had risen to 36.
The 21-floor building that collapsed was one of 360 degrees towers in the highbrow Lagos area.
Emergency workers have evacuated nine persons alive from the debris of the building while about 39 persons have been confirmed dead.
Police authorities have also vowed to punish those responsible for the collapse of the building.
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E2%80%93-groups-tell-anambra-residents-ahead-polls How Your Vote Each Is Worth N1.44million – Groups Tell Anambra Residents Ahead Of Polls
Civil rights’ groups, Adopt-A-Goal Development Initiative and Youth and Students Advocates for Development Initiative, have jointly urged residents of Anambra State to go en masse and cast their votes at the governorship election on Saturday.
The groups advised the voters to reject any temptation to sell their votes for money as some bad elements in politics will approach them.
They, however, stated that a single vote is worth N1.44million (one million, four hundred and forty-four million naira) based on a N30,000 minimum monthly wage for four years.
Both groups disclosed this in a statement signed by their respective directors, Ariyo-Dare Atoye and Obinna Nwagbara, which was made available to SaharaReporters on Friday.
The statement was titled, “Anambra Election: Vote Is Life; the minimum financial cost of one vote is N1.44m.”
The statement reads, “As voters in Anambra prepare to cast their ballots in the state’s gubernatorial election this Saturday, Adopt A Goal for Development Initiative and Youth and Students Advocates for Development Initiative (YSAD) wish to use this opportunity to encourage voters, the candidates, stakeholders and all parties to see the electoral exercise on Saturday as another practical step towards entrenching democratic norms of free choice, tolerance and respect for the expressed will of the people in our society.
“We specially invite the voters to reflect deeply on the profound import of exercising their sacred franchise on the election day and what it means for the future of the state, our children and how and who shapes our society for the next four years at least.
“We call on voters to reject any temptation to sell their votes to mercantile politicians who understand politics strictly from the viewpoint of commerce where votes are bought and sold, where only the man with the deepest pocket, not the one with fine ideas and programmes, win.
“It pains us to realise that many voters in the country today are yet to fully understand the value of one vote and how that one vote can impact their lives, for good or for ill. It must have become evident to everyone today that Vote is Life.
“Also, as you go to the poll, we urge you to think about the minimum cost of your vote. Is your vote not capable of earning you employment if you elect a good leader or securing your job as a wage earner? What is the benefit of selling your vote at N5,000 or a little less or more to a candidate who eventually would deny you employment, treat payment of salaries as irritation and will not commit to the dividends of electoral democracy?
“To understand the significance of your vote, we use the value of minimum of wage for four years which we would put modestly at N1.44 million. So if anyone is offering you less than this amount (N30, 000 × 12 × 4) for a vote at the very minimum, then you are being heavily shortchanged.
“Beyond just the salaries that you would be trading off when you sell your votes, consider also other dividends of democracy like the provision of modern healthcare, urban and rural roads and the entire ecosystem around education. All of these would never be in the consideration of the man who paid his way to the office and you, and the society at large would be worse off in this mercantilist arrangement in a democracy.
“Our message to the voters, therefore, is to: shun all forms of vote-trading tomorrow; go out on time to vote; perform your civic duties and stay vigilant. Do not allow anyone deceive you. Your vote is your life and power, don’t sell it for any amount as doing so would amount to making yourself a slave to your conscience and greedy politicians in your fatherland.
“Lastly, we call on INEC, the political parties, security agents and all connected to tomorrow’s exercise to respect the electoral will of the people, play by the rules and avoid plunging the state into further chaos by seeking to manipulate the outcome of the poll.
“Adopt A Goal and YSAD join all well-meaning Nigerians and our friends across the world in praying for the emergence of the best candidate as governor-elect at the end of Saturday’s election.”
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Electoral Body, INEC Budgets N7billion For Ekiti, Osun Governorship Elections
INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has budgeted the sum of N7billion for the conduct of the Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections in 2022.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu disclosed this on Friday when he was defending the N140billion INEC 2022 budget before the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on INEC and Electoral Matters.
INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu
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“We also budgeted N7bn for the conduct of Ekiti and Osun governorship election including the possibility of runoffs.
“We made a provision of N2.6bn for Ekiti State with a population of over one million registered voters and N4.4bn for Osun with 30 local government areas,” Yakubu stated.
INEC had earlier fixed June 18, 2022 for Ekiti governorship election and July 16, 2022 for same exercise in Osun State.
The INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu, had disclosed this in June at the Commission’s meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja.
Yakubu said that the commencement date of campaign and other detailed timetable and schedule of activities for the two elections were uploaded on the Commission’s website and social media platforms.
“In the sequence of off-season elections, the Ekiti and Osun State Governorship elections are holding next year.
“In keeping with our policy of announcing the dates of elections in advance to enable early and effective preparations by all concerned, the Commission has approved that the Ekiti State Governorship election will hold on Saturday June 18 2022.
“The Osun State Governorship election will hold one month later on Saturday July 16, 2022.
“We implore political parties and aspirants to ensure rancour-free primaries and, thereafter, conduct peaceful electioneering campaigns,” he said.
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E2%80%99t-end-agitations-separation-%E2%80%94-coalition-yoruba-groups Silencing Akintoye, Igboho, Kanu Won’t End Agitations For Separation — Coalition Of Yoruba Groups
The coalition of Yoruba self-determination groups has warned President Muhammadu Buhari against silencing the leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Banji Akintoye; leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu and Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho) stating that it will not put an end to the separatist agitations across the country.
The coalition made this known in a statement issued by the Secretary-General, Steve Abioye.
The group was reacting to the attack on Prof. Akintoye’s house, the arrest of Ighoho and the continual incarceration of Kanu.
Recall that on October 30, gunmen attacked Akintoye’s residence in Ado-Ekiti, a statement from Maxwell Adeyemi confirmed.
Also, Igboho was arrested in July after fleeing Nigeria to evade arrest by Nigeria’s secret police
The Nigerian government had in June announced Kanu’s arrest and ‘extradition’ from Kenya to continue to face trial in Nigeria.
Reacting to the series of events in a statement, the group noted, “The Coalition of Yoruba self-determination groups receives the news of the attack on the house of the leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Prof. Banji Akintoye with an utter sense of disappointment.
“Prof. Banji Akintoye is an elder statesman who has paid his dues in ensuring a better society and general well-being of Yorubaland, and even Nigeria, before he made a detour to Yoruba secessionist agenda as a result of the refusal of the northern establishment to accept restructuring of Nigeria.
“In as much as the coalition is not linking the Federal Government to this dastardly act of cowardice, it is our belief that the state should ensure that thorough investigation is carried out to convince Nigerians that government knew nothing about it and the perpetrators brought to book,” the statement stated.
The Coalition further stressed that the only way secessionist agitations across Nigeria can be a nip in the bud is for the Buhari-led government to begin the process of putting machinery in motion to either bring back the pre-1966 Constitution, which the founding fathers of Nigeria agreed upon and which enabled each region of Nigeria to be autonomous of the centre to an appreciable degree or to revisit Jonathan’s national conference report.
The group added: “Federal Government needs to be told the gospel truth that silencing Nnamdi Kanu or Igboho or Akintoye or Dokubo is not the way out of separatist agitation as more of such people will still emerge in the society except the government does the needful of genuine restructuring based on people’s constitution.”
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E2%80%93-police-tell-court Another Minor Claimed Nollywood Artist, Baba Ijesha Defiled Her – Police Tell Court
A police officer, Wahab Kareem, has informed the Ikeja Special Offences Court that embattled Nollywood actor, James Olanrewaju, aka “Baba Ijesha”, was facing another allegation of defilement.
The officer, attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, Lagos, testified on Friday as the fifth prosecution witness in the trial of the actor over the defilement of a minor.
He said, “During our investigation, another girl (name withheld) came forward and said the defendant assaulted her when she was 12 years old.
“We interviewed her and the defendant behind the counter and he vehemently denied the allegation.
“The girl said the incident occurred at Agah area of Ikorodu, and we told a representative of the defendant to follow us to the house and we met the landlord.
“The landlord showed us an apartment and said, “This is where Baba Ijesha used to live.”
“Meanwhile, Baba Ijesha had earlier denied living in that area.”
Following this, the statement of James’s former landlord, Alhaji Jameel, and the defendant’s statement at the SCID we’re reportedly admitted in evidence.
During proceedings, a video recording of James at the SCID admitting to sexually assaulting the foster daughter comedienne, Damilola Adekoya alias Princess, was played.
“I harassed her, I touched her hand and I licked her hand,” Baba Ijesha said in the clip.”
The police officer further testified that he was asked to take over the investigation of the case from a team due to complaints from Adekoya.
“I was asked to take over the matter from Team A because the complainant (Princess) had complained about the closeness between the defendant and members of Team A.
“After the conclusion of the investigation, I transferred the file to the Directorate of Public Prosecution for legal advice,” he said.
While being cross-examined by Babatunde Ogala, Kareem said that he never visited the crime scene, adding that the other minor who also accused the defendant of defilement was brought to the police by Adekoya.
He said that the statement of the defendant’s former landlord was recorded at the landlord’s residence and not at a police station.
He, however, said the statements recorded were taken to his superior, Margaret Ighodalo.
When asked to show where his superior countersigned the landlord’s statement as required by law, the witness said the landlord’s statement was not countersigned.
He further testified that a lawyer was not present when James made his initial statement to the police at the SCID.
He added that James was not taken to Ikorodu to counter the other claim of defilement due to security reasons.
“The defendant was the one who asked his brother to take us to Ikorodu. We did not take him there because of security reasons; his name was all over the news on televisions and radios.
“He could have been hijacked from us; that is why we told him to nominate someone and he nominated his brother to go with us,” Kareem said.
Baba Ijesha was charged on six-count charges of sexual assault by penetration, indecent treatment of a child, and sexual assault, which contravene sections 259, 135, and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011, as well as 135, 263, and 262 Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
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Ex-Central Bank Deputy Governor, Mailafia Buried In Abuja, Sowore, Others Mourn
A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Obadiah Mailafia was buried on Friday in Abuja.
Malafia had died at the National Hospital, Abuja following a brief illness on September 19.
Luka Binniyat, spokesman for the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) had said Mailafia, who took refuge in Makurdi, Benue state, following alleged persistent harassment by the Department of State Services (DSS), fell sick and was rushed to an Abuja hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The former deputy governor, who was the Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2019 election, was a known government critic and had advocated for public sector and exchange rate reforms.
Mailafia was born on December 24, 1956, in the Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
He later graduated top of his class at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1978.
Commenting on Mailafia’s burial on Friday, human rights’ activist, Omoyele Sowore, in a post on his Facebook page, said the funeral service of the 64-year-old development economist took place at the National Christian Center in Abuja.
He wrote, “We attended the funeral service of foremost patriot, truth-teller, public intellectual and fearless citizen, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia today at the National Christian Center in Abuja.
“He was a man of light as opposed to the darkness his enemies represented. It should be noted that the despicable Muhammadu Buhari regime hounded him until he breathed his last, it was also heartwarming to hear from family and friends that he was resolute till the very end. Rest In Power, Dr. Mailafia! May your departed soul & spirit continue to hound our oppressors! #RevolutionNow”
Mailafia was appointed deputy governor of the CBN in 2005 from the African Development Bank (AfDB) where he served as the chief economist responsible for Strategic Planning and Corporate Reporting.
Reacting in a Facebook post and on Twitter, Sowore had described the deceased as a powerful voice for social justice.
“Dr. Malafia Obadiah is Dead. He was a powerful voice for social justice, although he was said to have died after a ‘protracted illness’, it is however on record that he was hounded till the very end by the lawless DSS agents of the unconscionable and tyrannical regime of Muhammadu Buhari. Rest In Power, Doc! #RevolutionNow #BuhariMustGo,” the activist wrote.
Rest In Power. Doc! #RevolutionNow #BuhariMustGo — Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) September 19, 2021
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Buhari Spends Over 2 Days In London Seeing Doctors Despite Presidency Only Announcing Glasgow, Paris Trips
President Muhammadu Buhari has now spent two days in London visiting his doctors despite the presidency announcing only his visit to Glasgow, Scotland and Paris, France on official duties.
SaharaReporters learnt that Buhari, after his participation in the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at Glasgow has since moved from there to London to visit his doctors and has since remained there.
Investigation shows Buhari left the COP26 on Tuesday, November 2 for London.
According to the UN, the event which started on October 31st is expected to end on November 12, 2021.
“President Muhammadu Buhari will Sunday, October 31 depart Abuja for Glasgow, Scotland to attend the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“The President is scheduled to deliver his national statement at the High-Level segment for Heads of State and Government at the conference on Tuesday, November 2,” a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu had read.
Shehu had added that “In Glasgow, President Buhari will participate in some side-line events hosted by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
“President Buhari will thereafter travel to Paris, France on an official visit to reciprocate an earlier one to Nigeria by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and also attend the Paris Peace forum 2021, the fourth edition to be hosted by the French President.
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“It will have Heads of State and Government and CEOs of major multinationals, as well as several civil society actors, gathering to advance concrete solutions to the enormous challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to improve global governance in times of COVID-19.”
Though Shehu’s statement said the President would travel to Paris after the summit, investigation shows that President Buhari after his speech on Tuesday at the COP26 Leaders’ Summit left Glasgow for London for a medical checkup and Shehu has not deemed it fit to inform Nigerians about this.
SaharaReporters gathered that the presidential aircraft which conveyed Buhari, a Gulfstream Aerospace GV-SP (G550) with registration number 5N-FGW and serial number 5310 (Mode-S 0640F2) left the Glasgow International Airport at 10:14 pm (9:14 UK time) and arrived at Stansted Airport, London at 11:11 pm (10:11 pm UK time).
Meanwhile, the 5N-FGW (Gulfstream Aerospace) has been registered as Nigerian Air Force 1, to replace the Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-700) 5N-FGT that is still in Germany for repairs.
At the time of filing this report, the presidential jet, now tagged Nigerian Air Force 1, had been in London for two days and 16 hours.
His use of the Gulfstream Aerospace and Falcon 7X Jets recently followed the ongoing repairs to the traditional Nigerian Air Force 1, a Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-700) 5N-FGT in Germany.
Buhari took the Falcon 7X jet (5N-FGV) to Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia recently but flew the 5N-FGW Gulfstream Aerospace to Glasgow, Scotland, but it is currently sitting in London, awaiting when Buhari will be done with his doctors.
Therefore, since September 19, when Buhari departed Abuja for the UN General Assembly in the US and now, Buhari has used three private jets.
SaharaReporters had reported how the presidential jet (Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-700) 5N-FGT) developed a fault following Buhari recent trip to the UN General Assembly in the US.
Sources said the aircraft was subsequently moved to Euro Airport in Germany on September 29 and arrived at 4.15pm after leaving the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 9.48am, with the Nigerian government paying €5,000 (Euros) (N2,385,000 at official rate of N477 to €1) per night as parking fee.
To avoid any backlash, SaharaReporters gathered that the registration of the 5N-FGT aircraft was done using AMACGND.
“The Presidential Boeing Business Jet registration number 5N-FGT developed a fault during his trip from New York. He travelled to Saudi Arabia with a smaller jet. A Falcon 7X jet with registration number 5N-FGV. No picture of his departure to Saudi Arabia was released to avoid the public knowing about the jet he travelled with,” a presidential source had told SaharaReporters.
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“The one that developed fault has been moved to EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg, Germany for repairs since September. It is registered and operated under another name AMACGND. They intentionally hid it and parked it under another name because it cost €5,000 (Euros) for parking per night.”
SaharaReporters had recently reported that Buhari would leave the country for Saudi Arabia and later proceed to Europe where he is expected to begin a fresh round of medical checkups and attend some conferences before the end of 2021.
Sources said the President would spend up to two weeks on his medical tour in Europe but his first point of call would be Saudi Arabia for Umrah, otherwise known as the Lesser Hajj.
“Baba (Buhari) is going to Saudi Arabia, France and Glasgow from Tuesday. The date is set and part of it is for his medicals. The trip will not exceed two weeks but the first stop is Saudi Arabia. He will go for the Umrah before heading for Paris and Glasgow,” one of the sources had revealed.
“Buhari to visit Glasgow, Scotland, Paris, France and Dubai, UAE before the end of 2021 amidst strong rumour of third term agenda,” another source had said on Wednesday, October 6.
Meanwhile, the President’s health has been a source of concern for many Nigerians.
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Timeline Of Buhari’s 190 Days On Medical Leave In UK Since 2015
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SaharaReporters in December 2020 reported how the inability of President Buhari to make critical decisions on insecurity and the depressed economy had become worrisome to many Nigerians – a situation that his dementia and other undisclosed ailments he is treating could have contributed to.
Since he assumed office on May 29, 2015, Buhari has embarked on medical trips abroad at least five times, covering a period of no fewer than 170 days of the five years he had been in power.
The following is a timeline of the President’s trips for medical treatment; on February 5 to 10, 2016, the President took a six-day vacation in the United Kingdom, saying that his doctors lived in England.
Between June 6 and 19, 2016, Buhari went on a 10-day medical trip to England for an ear infection surgery. He extended his trip by three days to rest.
On January 19, 2017, the President was back in London again on a medical vacation.
On February 5, 2017, he wrote to the National Assembly, seeking an extension of his London medical leave. Later on March 10, 2017, Buhari returned to Nigeria but didn’t resume work immediately at Aso Villa.
The Presidency had claimed that “he was working from home.” On May 7, 2017, Buhari embarked on a trip to London for another medical vacation. He returned after 104 days – the longest he had stayed outside the country.
On August 19, 2017, Buhari returned to Nigeria, and it took him a while to resume work because rats had reportedly damaged furniture in his office.
The Presidency had announced that he would be working from home. On May 8, 2018, Buhari went to London for a four-day “medical review.”
On April 26, 2019, Buhari again left for the UK on a 10-day private visit to seek medical care. He came back to the country on May 5.
In 2020, Buhari’s penchant for foreign medical treatment was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the global lockdown and strain on medical facilities.
From March 30 to April 6 2021, the President embarked on another trip for a routine medical check-up in London.
He was as well in the country in July 2021 for a ‘scheduled medical follow-up’ and conference.
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E2%80%99t-take-photo-our-staff%E2%80%94anti-graft-agency-efcc-says Socialite, Obi Cubana Didn’t Take Photo With Our Staff—Anti-graft Agency, EFCC Says
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has issued a disclaimer, saying a trending photograph purportedly taken by socialite, Obi Cubana on the agency’s premises is fake.
The EFCC stated this in a couple of statements released by the agency on Friday and signed by its Head, Media & Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren.
One of the statements said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wishes to disclaim a trending photograph in the social media purported to have been taken by socialite Obi Cubana in the premises of the Commission, crowded by people described as staff of the EFCC.
“The said picture captioned: EFCC Crew poses for quick photograph with billionaire socialite and businessman, Obi Cubana, was not taken in EFCC facility and the people therein are unknown to the Commission.
“The Commission warns the public not to be misled by another mischievous stunt by Cubana’s publicists.”
Another statement titled ‘Obi Cubana Did not Take Photo with EFCC Staff’, said, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been drawn to fake news trending on social media with the caption, ‘EFCC Crew poses for quick photograph with billionaire socialite and businessman Obi Cubana’.
“The caption is as fake as any fake news can ever be because, at no time during his ongoing investigation, period in custody or release did Obi Cubana pose for photographs with EFCC staff.
“Uncle Deji, a popular security analyst, using his social media handle, has debunked the fake news, saying, ‘This post is deliberately misleading, this picture was taken 7th October 2021 during a book launch of Colonel Chukwu Obasi at Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja in which Obi Cubana attended as a guest’.
“Members of the public are therefore advised to ignore the fake news and misleading imputation which has been traced to the social media account of Sabi Radio (sabiradio), which first went to town with the fake news at 1.06 pm on 5 November, 2021. Sabiradio’s watermark is telltale on the photograph.
“The Commission shall not hesitate to take urgent necessary steps to address this and other fake news seeking to drag EFCC’s hard-won name and professional reputation in the mud.”
Cubana was released by the EFCC on Thursday after spending three days in detention following his arrest for alleged money laundering, others.
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