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Wednesday 30 April 2014

Monumental fraud in Zamfara; -How Gov Yari milk the state dry;



Eighteen years after creation, Zamfara State still remains a traditional rural State due to some lapses, gross non-performance and corruption by virtually all the previous administrations of the state. In this analysis, our correspondent  take a peep at the state and the impediment that deters the progress and revealed that democracy still stand a chance of survival only if the main actors can give the necessary inputs in real term. For quite a long time, Zamfara has prayed for salvation and solace especially, This is what the political class here in Zamfara lacks, a sense of dedication, patriotism and commitment. Most of them are not even fair to themselves much less for those that gave them the mandate. Pundits averred that the attitude in itself is inimical to democratic ideals and consequently anti democratic and by extension autocratic, a situation where anything can go when money is involved is very disastrous and unfortunate.

Truly, democratic set up in Nigeria were full of corruption or corrupt practices. It is the same practice that had hindered the state from economic growth and infrastructural development despite collecting over N370billion as statutory allocation from the federation account within the period Investigations revealed that Governor Abdul Azees Yari’s administration has failed by the judgment of majority and in farct by his own admission and to register and appreciable success. His failures were indeed followed by his inability to fight corruption or better still his choice to allow carefree attitude of people in the corridors of power to continue dominating the system. In fact everything remains as it was even worse. Money from the public treasury were used to achieve political ends, an episode where government tendered cash allegedly forwarded to top
politicians for victories is still the public funds. And none of them has given any explanation in that matter.

This administration has not made any sincerity and dedication as their hallmark which is why they have not built strong economic base and conducive Zamfara State. The money they were alleged to have looted is
more than the little they spent for public projects during this administration. The evil calamity they inflicted on the masses is still haunting the common masses. The state has been placed into a waste basket. Ask them, is money they stole into their accounts not enough to service the debt the state owes? After robbing the state of
its resources, they still went to disgrace its image in the world.

Governor Yari on assuming power worsen the debt crisis in the state by securing illegal loan of N4billion allegedly with high interest rate in a supposedly Sharia. The facility was secured without the approval
of the state House of Assembly and before the constitution of the state executive council. Questionable projects that are not priority to the immediate needs of the people but were created to favour the
economic interest of friends, associates and conduit pipes was awardedby Yari in violation of due process and from all analysis over inflated.

Governor Yari is perhaps today the most widely travelled state governor in Nigeria with a record of spending over N2billion according to an insider that pleaded not to be mentioned on expenses incurred on hotel, food and air craft charter across Nigeria. His frequent travels to Dubai, London and Suadi Arabia according to the source has cost the poor people of Zamfara state more than N500million with the period of less than one year according to the source. Within the same period, Zamfara owing to Yari’s negligence and disregard to the welfare of the people has lost the services of more than 20 medical doctors due to non payment of their salaries and failure to effect the payment of their allowances and salary increament.

Investigation also reveals that nearly 50% of the highly substandard but inflated projects Yari has embarked upon was concentrated in his home town of Talatan Mafara, a move condemn by citizens of the state as irresponsible for a leader that was elected by all the people of the state. Another source who pleaded anonymity told FOA that Yari was warned by his Malam not to relocate to the Government House hence his illegal decision to remain in his home at Talatan Mafara since he was elected and incurring huge expenses in the process and subjecting the police and other security agents to divide within the Government House in Gusau and the governor’s house at Talatan Mafara.

Among all the former governors of Zamfara state according to those interviewed by this paper, “Yari in less than one year through his conduct, policies and vision has proven to be the most insensitive with no clear policy direction. From creation, the state has never got any direction or focus due to poor financial management by the past leaders of the state. The whole system has become faulty democratically as there was no trust or truth in the system. The influx of the youth to the urban areas increased the rate of political thuggery in the state.

According to Malam Bello Gusau, “it is shameful and disgraceful that the world has stepped into a global village, yet Zamfara is yet to locate its level, in dare need of development. The failure of all the government is because they did not have the sense of purpose,direction and focus. The gravity of the whole offence lays drastically and terrifyingly on the past leaders who left power to Governor Abdul’azeez Yari. While Yari had continued to plunder as the case of his predecessors, pundits believed that he inherited virtually nothing
from the past governors. But considering the kind of leadership and lack of accountability Zamfara witnessed in the last ten months under Yari, the incumbent governor and his predecessors are to be collectively blamed for the backwardness of the state and for allowing so called contractors to defraud the state with nothing commensurate in return.

Pundits also averred that if Yari is indeed serious in fighting corruption he must start with himself by stopping his unnecessary foreign and domestic trips and ensure sanity and transperancy in awarding government contract and in determining who or which company is qualified. They also said that Yari should start the war on corruption by subjecting his blood brother, Ja’afaru Dan’ auta to the EFCC for investigation because according to them the stupendous wealth Dan’auta is intimidating the people with which he didn’t have prior to the emergence of his brother as governor must be investigated to convince the people that Yari is sincere and committed to fight corruption. They said virtually all the commissioners of Yari are redundant because all issues that has to do with money is now under the authority and monopoly of Dan’auta, Usman Sahabi Kaura and Alhaji Sani Jega.

“The situation in Zamfara is unfortunate. Dan’auta is illiterate and has nothing before his brother became governor. Usman Sahabi has been cheating Zamfara and making millions since Yarima was governor. If the governor is serious Dan’auta, Usman Kaura and Sani Jega must go to jail for the financial crimes they are committing against Zamfara and its citizens”, Bello said.

But many believed that if the way Yari has started by reducing government to impact on the economic lives of few privileged in the state is anything to go by, he will go down as the worst governor Zamfara state has ever had. For now and in view of the typical leadership direction of Yari, the hope of getting a governor that will transform the state and its economy has been dashed in Yari.

Anambra residents react as Jonathan moves to appoint Peter Obi minister

Former governor of Anambra state has acquainted himself very well and don’t forget that there has been precedents of people coming in from other political parties to be ministers.”
President Goodluck Jonathan appears set to reward the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, ahead of his political party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State to fill the now vacant ministerial slot in the wake of Stella Oduah’s sack as the aviation minister.
Mrs. Oduah, from Anambra State, was sacked as minister following her indictment for her role in the unlegislated purchase of armoured vehicles by the aviation ministry.
Based on Nigerian law, Mr. Jonathan is to pick another person from Anambra to fill the state’s position in the Executive Council of the Federation, FEC, and possibly to replace Mrs. Oduah as Aviation Minister.
A whispering campaign in Awka, the Anambra State capital and in Abuja, among political leaders across party divide from the state, suggest that the President is on track to reward the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, his personal friend, and an APGA member, with the ministerial slot.
The appointment if eventually announced by the presidency may not meet any stiff opposition based on what residents of the state are saying.
The Executive Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria [IPAC] in the state, Ken Emeakaiyi, said he sees nothing wrong in the president’s plan.
“APGA as a political party pledged their support to the good programmes of the party (PDP),” Mr. Emeakaiyi, a factional chairman of the PDP in Anambra, said.
“Governor Peter Obi as governor of Anambra state, knowing what Anambra people wanted, knowing how much the Anambra people followed Mr. President, then towed the line of Mr. President by supporting Mr. President and supporting the PDP programmes,” he said.
A leader of Mr. Obi’s APGA in Anambra, Victor Ogene, also defended any plan by the president to pick the former governor as minister.
“The president is appointing his ministers to witness federal characters and by that each state is supposed to get at least one ministerial slot. He didn’t talk about political parties; that is the first thing I would want to allude to,” Mr. Ogene told PREMIUM TIMES.
“Secondly, former governor of Anambra state has acquainted himself very well and don’t forget that there has been precedents of people coming in from other political parties to be ministers.”
The Anambra politician made reference to a similar appointment by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“When President Obasanjo had a sense of current dissertation in 1999, he nominated people like the late Chief Bola Ige and he didn’t just nominate him, he gave him a statutory ministry as Minister of Mines and E-development and later as Attorney General of the Federation.
“It didn’t follow that the late Chief Bola Ige at the time wasn’t of the People’s Democratic Party and there have been some others like that,” he said.
Mr. Ogene argued that President Jonathan should “look for people who have a fine Nigerian agenda. And Peter Obi has shown that beyond his own political meaning, he is one person who goes for anything Nigeria, he distinguished himself in terms of work ethics, in terms of personal examples, in terms of infrastructural development and in terms of proper deployment of the resources of the people of Anambra state and I think that he can replicate that in many folds at the federal level.”
“With somebody like Mr Peter Obi who is a “particular” for due process, you can be sure that that (the Aviation) sector would do him just better.”
Leaders of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in Anambra appear unperturbed by Mr. Obi’s likely emergency as minister.
“I’m really not in a position to say anything, the people who are in this position are members of PDP or members of APGA, we are somewhere in the middle,” Okelo Madukaife, an APC member, told PREMIUM TIMES.
“But if we must comment on it for the sake of morality in politics, I think that politicians at every point in time should stand for something.
“It’s not good for a politician to be one thing in the daytime and another thing in the night, it’s a very bad signal for those who are being led and I think that as much as possible that should be discouraged,” he said in seeming reference to the romance between Mr. Obi and the PDP.
A divided romance
Although Mr. Obi and the APGA leadership have a close relationship with Mr. Jonathan, the last Anambra governorship election showed that not all PDP members in Anambra are in support of the relationship.
The three major candidates for the election were Willie Obiano (now governor) of APGA, Chris Ngige of the APC, and Tony Nwoye of PDP; with all the candidates engaging in campaigns of calumny against one another.
Few hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Mr. Obiano winner of the election, the PDP national headquarters congratulated him and the party. This was despite the loud public protest of the PDP candidate, Tony Nwoye, and Mr. Ngige that the elections were flawed.
Messrs Nwoye and Ngige are still challenging Mr. Obiano’s victory at the tribunal.
Observers of Anambra politics accused the PDP headquarters and Mr. Jonathan of abandoning the party’s candidate and supporting APGA’s for the election. One of those who raised an eyebrow on this was former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who, in a letter written to Mr. Jonathan, accused the president of dumping Mr. Nwoye for the APGA candidate.
An Anambra-based journalist, Emmanuel Obe, in describing the relationship between the former governor and Mr. Jonathan said “it has become clear that Peter Obi was his (the president’s) “man Friday” in Anambra.”
“I think people would have realised that long ago and they have not raised any strong objection to that”
“Even while Peter was in APGA, it appears that the President prefers working him than the PDP people who were always divided. I think it’s like a kind of new way of doing politics,” he said.  SOURCE

Monday 28 April 2014

Women to stage one-million march in Abuja over abducted girls


Nigerian women would on Wednesday April 30th in Abuja stage a one-million-women march tagged "Free our girls" to press for the release of the schoolgirls that were abducted from Girls Government college in Chibok, Borno state on Monday April 14th.
 
The call for the protest was made during an emergency meeting put together by the Borno state first lady, Hajia Nana Kashim Shettima, yesterday. Coordinator of the protest Prof. Hauwa Abdu Biu said the march is expected to involve every woman in the country.
"The last time, we were in black but this time around the colour for the Abuja rally is red; so we should all be prepared and mobilize ourselves for the rally”, she said
Earlier on at the meeting, the first lady amids sobs called on all women to join in efforts to free the abducted girls and also called on wives of heads of Security agents, some of whom were present at the meeting to help plead with their spouses to intensify their efforts in the search for the girls 
"I want to use this opportunity to appeal to wives of security chiefs at the national and state levels to mount pressures on their spouses to intensify effort to rescue our dear children. However, I feel it is necessary to call on all women in Borno to come up with their resolutions and harmonize them. Let us all put our differences aside irrespective of our faith, or ethnicity, let us all join hands together to rescue these girls, I know that we can do it, Almighty Allah is with us, He knows our intention. I am sure for now we are not on our own, I am happy to inform you that the wife of the president called me two days ago, I believe that she is also with us, let us all join hands together irrespective of political affiliations.” she said
Meanwhile, Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen Chris Olukolade says the military is getting closer to the Boko Haram base where the girls are being kept. He said this yesterday during a tour with journalist to some of Boko Haram bases where the military has been able to dismantle.
"The bases we visited are part of the responses to the terrorist offensive and that is an achievement; the military had moved close to where the insurgents are. It shows that the military had taken over the land. The morale of the soldiers was high, and we are expecting to see more successes from the troops” he said.

'My uncle has been sleeping with me since 2013'


Anthony Wayas (pictured left) a resident of Finima community in Bonny LGA of Rivers State has been accused by his 12 year old niece of having sex with her since 2013, Tribune reports.
 
Anthony, who is the brother to the girl's father took responsibility for her after her father passed away when she was just a year old. By the time she turned 12, he started having sex with her.
 
His evil act came to light on Monday April 21 after the girl told her neighbor what her uncle was doing to her. The neighbor then told another neighbor who told the youth leader in the community and Anthony was accosted in his home where he was badly beaten and had to be rescued by the police. 

Narrating what happened to Tribune, the little girl said
"Uncle Anthony is a father to me. He is my father’s brother. My father is dead and my mother is in our village at Adamawa State, married to another man now. I don’t go to school. I finished Primary 6 and was supposed to start JSS1 but I was not sent to secondary school by my uncle. I usually stay at home to do house chores. I would then take my cousins to school and come back home to work. I would go back to the school in the afternoon to pick them. My  Uncle started sleeping with me in 2013. How it happened was that he would leave for work in the morning and come back in the afternoon while his wife is away at work where she works as a cleaner. He would take the children to the big room, asking them to stay there, and would take me to the small room. He would remove my pant and push me on the bed. He would then remove his trousers and bring out his manhood. He would then put it inside me and sleep with me. I can’t count the number of times it has happened. When I told the wife, she threatened to return me to our village. On Saturday, April 19, my uncle asked me to mix hot and cold water for him to take his bath. He took the bucket to the bathroom and asked me to bring his sponge to him. As I took the sponge to him, he dragged me into the bathroom and had sex with me. There were people in the house but he warned me not to shout.  The following morning, I told one woman in our compound. She, in turn, told someone and when the person interviewed me, he called in the Finima youths. I am surprised that my uncle is denying.” she said
Anthony denied the accusation made by the little girl saying he has suffered erectal dysfunctional for a long time due to a sexually transmitted disease he suffered sometime ago.
"I am surprised at what she said that I was having sex with her because it is not true. I have a problem with my manhood which has resulted in my inability to make love to a woman. I have not been experiencing erection at all. I was told by my doctor that it was caused by syphilis that I once had. He said the sexually transmitted disease was not well treated when I had it. It also resulted in my having zero sperm in my semen which the doctor said would not make me have a baby. I was given Proviron to boost my sperm count.” he said.
Anthony's wife, who the girl accused as an accomplice, says her husband has sexual challenges and that Karen never told her of her husband's sexual advances
"We have been married for 14 years but, initially, my husband had low sperm count. He married another woman after me but we got pregnant at the same time after several prayers. I have a child and the other woman has two. She has left and I am the one taking care of her children with mine. Karen is my husband’s niece. She came to us after her father died and she was just about a year old then. I am confused about the whole issue because my husband had been having weak erection for over a year and had not been able to make love to me. We sought medical help and the doctor recommended some drugs.  Since the drugs are expensive, we have resorted to prayers. I am not defending my husband but I don’t understand how he was able to have sexual relationship with  the girl with his current condition. And Karen did not inform me as she claimed. If she did, I would have admitted it,” the wife said.
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer in Rivers State, Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the incident and says investigation is currently going on and if he is found guilty, he would be charged to court.

International sport stars when they were cute kids: Photos

Football superstar Ronaldinho pictured above. 

See many more sports stars when they were kids,,,,,


Cristiano Ronaldo
Venus and Serena Williams
Tiger Woods
Lebron James
Mo Farrah
Roger Federer
Lionel Messi
Andy Murray
Rafael Nadal
Diego Maradona
Lewis Hamilton
Michael Owen
Lance Armstrong
David Beckham
Neymar
 l

How Former Edo Governor, Igbinedion, Lost N3.3 billion To Venezuelan Con men

 

Former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion
Nemesis may have finally caught up with ex-convict and former Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, as he has lost over N3.3 billion to Venezuelan fraudsters, in a deal that bears all the marks of a classic 419 scam, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively reveal.
Court documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES also suggest that Mr. Igbinedion may be insolvent, as two US-based law firms have walked away from a $600 million lawsuit he instituted against the alleged mastermind and the Venezuelan state owned oil company, Petroleos De Venezuela S.A (PDVSA), over his inability to pay retainer as low as  N627,000.00 ($3,800.00).
Mr. Igbinedion plundered Edo State treasury for the eight years he was governor. He escaped jail after he reached a controversial plea bargain agreement with the Farida Waziri-led Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which dropped all but one of the 191 charges of corruption and money laundering against him.
In 2008, a Federal High Court in Enugu sentenced him to six months in prison with the option of a N3.5 million fine. The controversial plea bargain agreement he reached with the EFCC also required that he return N500 million and three of the houses he acquired with stolen public funds to the Federal Government.
But it’s not yet Uhuru for Mr. Igbinedion as the Court of Appeal in Benin ruled on April 9, 2014 that he has a case to answer over a fresh 66-count money laundering and financial impropriety suit brought against him by the EFCC. A Federal High Court had ruled in 2011 that it would amount to double jeopardy and abuse of court process to try him again after the plea bargain he entered with the EFCC.
He has been accused of stealing over N3 billion from Edo State’s treasury.

In 2006, looking to cash in on the lucrative but fraud-tainted fuel importation business, the ex-governor’s front and Managing Director of Skanga Energy and Marine Limited, a company formed by Mr. Igbinedion and his brother, Bright, in 1992, Christian Imoukhuede, approached the then Venezuelan Trade Consul to Nigeria, Enrique Arrundell, about the prospect of importing petrol, aviation fuel, and diesel from the South American country.
According to documents filed with a US District Court in New York, Mr. Arrundell advised Mr. Imoukhuede that the best way to get fuel was to go through a PDVSA approved agent.
Mr. Arrundell then introduced Mr. Imoukhuede to Arevenca, a fraudulent firm owned by alleged notorious Venezuelan conman, Francisco Gonzalez.
That meeting with Mr Gonzalez marked the beginning of Mr Igbinedion’s woes.
Mr. Igbinedion and his front, Mr. Imoukhuede claimed in court that they did due diligence checks on Arevenca through the Venezuelan embassy in Abuja.
They claim that embassy officials confirmed Arevenca as a reputable Venezuelan business concern and the validated documents provided by Arevenca that supposedly showed a relationship with PDVSA.
But it has since turned out that Arevenca might be a complete fraud. PDVSA has since said in court that it has no records of any relationship with Arevenca.
Arevenca is a registered corporation under Venezuelan law but was most recently headquartered in Aruba; its subsidiaries are: Arevenca AKTM registered in British Virgin Islands; Arevenca SL is registered in Spain; and Arevenca Aruba Holding NV.  Others are Arevenca Bank, Arevenca Foundation, Fly Aruba Suriname, Arevenca Mining and Arevenca Petroleum Company registered in offshore tax haven, Suriname. There is Arevenca Finances Holding registered in Switzerland and Arevenca Ivory Coast. Many of these subsidiaries are shell companies or exist only in names.
A Canadian-based freelance journalist, Steven Bodzin, who worked as an energy reporter in Venezuela and has written a number of exposés on Arevenca, revealed that Arevenca’s website is a repository of mind-numbing lies meant to hoodwink mostly unsuspecting international investors.
For instance, on its website, Arevenca claims to have a global refining capacity of 2.5 million barrels per day and plans to build a two million barrel per day in Ivory Coast. It also claims to have a fleet of 72 ships.  However, the company with the highest refining capacity in the world as at September 2013, Reliance Jamnagar Refinery, India, has a refining capacity of only 1.24 million barrels per day.
In fact, Arevenca is not included in the top ten refineries in the world. The only Venezuela-based refinery in the top 10,Paraguana Refining Centre, belongs to PDVSA and has a processing capacity of just 955,000bpd.
And despite claiming to have 75 vessels, a PREMIUM TIMES search on Lloyds Ship Directories shows that Arevenca does not operate from any of Venezuelan’s 16 ports. There is also no proof that the company is building a two million barrel per day refinery in Ivory Coast as it claimed.
These a just few of the web of lies contained in Arevenca’s website. Other false claims made by Arevenca to defraud investors can be found on Mr. Bodzin’s blog.
In October 2006, Mr. Imoukhuede, who was Mr. Igbinedion’s schoolmate, arrived at the Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas and was ushered directly into the VIP lounge and later given a luxury ride to the exquisite InterContinental Tamanaco, rated among the top three hotels in the country, where he had initial negotiation with Mr. Gonzalez and an unnamed Nigerian.
After the meeting, Skanga reached a tentative agreement to buy “petroleum products” from Arevenca. Arevenca also agreed to give Skanga the first right of refusal to buy its AGO (diesel), PMS (premium motor spirit) DPK (kerosene), Jet Al fuel, Bitumen and Fuel oil. The deal was to take off with a 35,000 metric tones of AGO for the first option and repeated frequency of about three cargoes monthly, according to Skanga Official statement.
Bank transfer documents show that Skanga paid $1.05 million of the $1.4 million cost of freight. According to answer provided by Skanga officials during interrogation in court, it made these payments ($580,000 and $470,000) based on the proof of certain “inducement documents which included an alleged PDVSA bill of lading.
After Skanga made these initial payments, it became trapped. The duping of the former government and his corrupt clan began in full swing.
Igbinedion goes to Caracas
In January 2007, four months before the expiration of his governorship term, Mr. Igbinedion travelled to Caracas, ostensibly on an official visit but actually the visit was to put finishing touches to the deal earlier reached by his front three months earlier.
According to the Bolivarian News Agency (ABN), he and his entourage were met by some of the influential “Chavista” politicians in the country, as supporters of the late Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chávez, are called: the Mayor of Central Caracas, Freddy Bernal, the Governor of Miranda, Diosdado Cabello, and Deputy Foreign Minister for Africa, Reinaldo Bolívar as well as other top Venezuelan government Officials and businessmen. It was an elaborated event accompanied by lavish photo op, expensive alcohol and dinner in the evening at the “Gran Melia Hotel, another top three luxury hotel in Venezuela according to luxury hotel reservations website, Five Star Alliance.
Mr. Igbinedion was handed the key to the city of Caracas and announced as the “Alcaldía de Libertador”, the honorary Mayor of the central Caracas borough of Libertador. He also held a meeting with top officials of the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry at their headquarters, the Yellow House.
But the whole fanfare was a grand charade and part of a well orchestrated confidence trick put together by some of the most devious conmen in Latin America.
It appears that Mr. Gonzalez received an intensive course on Nigerian niceties.  Emails from Mr. Arrundell and Gonzalez to Mr. Igbinedion have that uniquely Nigerian informality. Rather than write in a formal manner as one would have expected in a multi-million dollar deal, they addressed Mr. Igbinedion as “My brother Lucky” or “Dear brother Lucky.”
One letter by Mr. Gonzalez, filled with grammatical errors, reads:
Dear brother lucky
I already send the dignity signed invoice. You know what this mean. Nobody do this, but I always honored my word, agins all the logical and normal status. I prefer died that do not honored my word. This is another demonstration that I am a honor man. That mean that the product is yours. I trust you like a brother I hope you do not let me down. I do not want disappoint you, I hope you do not disappoint me.
Best regards, You brother and friend
Francisco JAvier Gonzalez

The geniality of Mr. Gonzalez’s letters coupled with the grand reception, some would say deception, he got during his “official” visit to Caracas apparently made Mr. Igbinedion even more trusting of the Venezuelan gang.

Thief, money launderer is scammed
After a couple of other meetings later that year, Arevenca made Skanga a deal too good to be true: a consignment of 35,000 metric tonnes of diesel will be sent to Skanga. All it needed to do was to prepay the charges for delivery and complete the full payment for the delivery in three months.
Mr. Igbinedion could not believe his luck. Skanga transferred $19.6 million more to Arevenca’s Swiss bank account as freight charges and partial payment for two consignments of Petrol and diesel aboard two vessels named “Digniti” and “Ventur.”
The vessels never arrived.
The Nigerian Port Authority said it does not have any record of “Digniti” or “Ventur” entering Nigerian waters at the time it was billed to arrive. In fact, PREMIUM TIMES investigation reveals that there are no vessels named “Dignitii” or “Ventur”. Searches on Lloyds directories and other ship directories show that the ship don’t exist anywhere in the world.
All efforts made to consult the Venezuelan embassy to confirm the extent to which Mr. Arrundell, who has been posted out the country, was involved in the scam was unsuccessful. The embassy’s phone number seems to be out of order and email were returned as undelivered.
Mr. Imoukhuede declined to comment when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES. He explained that since the matter is in court, Skanga’s lawyer was in best position to make any public comment.
“You know the case is in court. I don’t think I am at ease to talk about it. I would have to talk to the lawyer. I can’t make any comment. The Nigerian legal system is different the American system. The best thing is to talk to Femi Salu,” he said.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The remaining parts in this series will look at courtroom intrigues; how two of Igbinedion’s American counsel abandoned the case due to his inability to pay their retainer.
A part will look at the role played by MRS Oil Nigeria Limited plus interesting revelations in court while another will take a look at the role of the Venezuelan authorities in the entire scam.

Saturday 26 April 2014

Why Boko Haram is keeping 234 abducted girls: Revealed"


Revealed: Why Boko Haram is keeping 234 abducted girls


The Islamist sect, Boko Haram, is believed to be desperate to use over 100 students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State it abducted last week as human shield, as plan to rescue them by the military intensifies.

The National Security Council at its expanded meeting on Thursday gave the military a marching order to rescue the girls.

The military operation is being co-ordinated by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, who has been shuttling between Abuja and Maiduguri in the last one week.
The Nation gathered yesterday that the armed forces are taking maximum caution in handling the situation with a view to saving the lives of the girls.

“Intelligence report confirmed that Boko Haram found it strategic to keep the girls to save their camps from bombardment by troops,” a highly placed source said. Troops are understood to be advancing on the area where the girls are being kept. The source said: “From available security reports, troops are around the axis where the abducted girls are being held hostage.

“Details of the exact location cannot be made public.
“Even the submissions of the service chiefs at the security council meeting were tactical for operational reasons. “The military was trying to avoid collateral damage because the affected area is bigger. It is as big as the whole of Ikeja, Lagos.”

The military and the Borno State Government are not saying much for fear that Boko Haram with its widespread cells might pick up sensitive information. A high-powered tactical team was, on Tuesday, dispatched to Borno State by Air Chief Marshall Badeh to boost the morale of troops assigned to liberate the abducted girls. 

The team returned to Abuja on Thursday night. Another source added: “The team went to give moral and psychological support to the troops to enable them meet the expectations of Nigerians to rescue the girls. “Comprising some Generals in the Armed Forces, the team also shared technical information with the troops to accomplish the mission.”

It was also learnt that plan by aggrieved women in Borno State to go into Sambisa Forest to look for the abducted girls may not work. A government source said: “No one will allow these women to go into the forest. These women will also not attempt it because of the delicate nature of the terrain.”

More facts also emerged yesterday on the confrontation between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State at the Security Council meeting over the governor’s controversial letter on the state of insecurity in the Northeast.

Two versions of the drama on Nyako’s toxic letter to Northern governors were relayed to our correspondent last night by sources at the meeting.

One of the source said: “When President Goodluck Jonathan raised the matter on the agenda, Nyako said he holds the President in high esteem and would not do anything to undermine his office. “The governor also said ‘Mr. President, you are a good man, but you have some people around you that are bad.’

“The President was not carried away by Nyako’s sentiments and he asked the governor to address the issues in the letter. He asked Nyako to read the letter to the council. “Nyako owned up to the contents of the letter and read it without any remorse. Like a school boy, he stood up to read the letter. 

“After the reading session, the President asked Nyako: What do you have to say? While still on his feet, Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Martin Elechi (Ebonyi) descended him.”

An unperturbed Nyako refused to apologize even though most of the governors disapproved of his letter.
The Northern governors were shocked that Nyako did not back up his claim with any intelligence fact.
Another source said: “It was true that Nyako initially went cyclical praising the President who was unmoved by his U-turn.

“At a point, the President attempted to read the letter and when he was trying to shuffle through it.
“In a brave manner, the Adamawa State Governor sought the indulgence of the President to read the letter to the hearing of the council members.

“But Nyako could actually not defend the contents of the letter. Or, maybe as a former Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, he knew too much and he did not want to divulge it at the session.

“His reluctance led to some scathing remarks from some governors who took exception to certain information in the letter.

“At the end, Nyako had no regrets. He even created a mild sensation when he refused to sit besides a South-East governor. This was what happened. We were not happy, but I think we have successfully thrashed the issue.” SOURCE

Friday 25 April 2014

Mob Sets Ablaze 'Mad' Female Kidnapper Caught in Osogbo with 3 Kids

There are reports that within the last 24 hours, four kidnappers have been caught in Osogbo, Osun state. One of kidnappers, lady pictured above, was caught yesterday with 3 kids and that she was pretending to be a mad woman. A mob descended on her, stripped her naked, beat her up and was about to set her ablaze before the police intervened. The other kidnapper wasn't so lucky. Photos and tweets after the jump:

Police recover 2-yr-old boy’s severed head in Ibadan

The Ogun state Police command has recovered the head of the 2 year old boy that was killed on April 16 by suspected ritualist, Mamodu Bashir Ibrahim. Mamodu had raped the little boy's mother at uncompleted building at Ofada town in Obafemi/Owode local government area of Ogun State before killing and beheading the boy. The man was later arrested by men of the Criminal Investigation Department on April 22, he took the police team to where he hid the little boy's severed head.
 
According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, who spoke with Vanguard, the head was found inside a bag in Mokola area of Ibadan of Oyo state.
"He has confessed to the crime, but still keeping some information to himself regarding those that sent him to get the commodity. The suspect took the investigation team to Mokola area of Ibadan where the head was recovered from a bag in the bush. The Commissioner of Police in Ogun state, has however directed the detectives to intensify efforts to uncover the buyers and others who engage in such dirty deals" he said
Meanwhile officials of the National Security & Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Ogun State, yesterday arrested 32-year-old man, Olusegun Kehinde (pictured above), for allegedly kidnapping a nine-month-old boy, Malik Ogundeyi on Wednesday April 23 at No 1 Elegbede House Ore-meji street, Ijeun-Titun area of Abeokuta. 
 
In a statement released by the Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC in the state, Olanrewaju Kareem, said he was arrested following an alarm raised by the boys mother
"Men of the corps on patrol of PHCN facilities within Abeokuta arrested the suspect  as a result of alarm raised by the child’s mother, Mrs Olanike Ogundeyi, when she saw her nine month-old baby, Malik Ogundeyi, with the suspect. According to Mrs Olanike Ogundeyi, the child was kidnapped when he strayed away while the mother was busy washing. She explained further that she left the baby in the passage while she left to pour used water at the backyard. The suspect claimed he lives at Okanlawon’s compound, Oke-Ijeun, Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State during interrogation.” he said

Strange but True ! Woman Allegedly Turned into a Bird & Landed in a Gutter in Lagos: Photos


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Earlier on today, around 9am, this woman pictured above, who allegedly confessed to being a witch, was rescued from a gutter she was trapped in around Abalti Barracks, Ojuelegba in Surulere, Lagos.
According to reports, a passerby had noticed someone stretching out her hand from a very small hole in a 6ft deep gutter just in front of the Army Barracks and calling out for help. The passerby quickly ran into the Army barracks to get help.

Within minutes, a crowd gathered with people saying all sort of things about the lady inside the gutter and how she got trapped in it. Some said she’s a witch, that she went for her meeting transformed as a bird. Only to end up in the covered gutter after she fell uncontrollably as a bird from the sky. That it was inside the drainage she now transformed back into her human form. Some others said she was on her way from Oshogbo and got sucked in the gutter, and so on.
When the woman was asked questions like ‘What are you doing inside the gutter?’ she replied, weeping ”Please I need water, help me”. 

A senior officer of the Nigerian Army reportedly asked the soldiers to get her out, a welder around the environment was called in and she was finally brought out by a good Samaritanwho entered the gutter to help her out.
She was brought out naked, covered up and then she said:
My name is Amudat Jimoh, It was God that sent me here, He (GOD) said I should confess my sins so that I don’t die, please I need water to drink, help me, I don’t know how I found myself here, please help me..
A Lagos State ambulance arrived and she was taken to away for proper medical attention.
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Naval officer allegedly kills bus conductor in Oshodi over bribe: Photo


Photo and report on this guy's Facebook page. Why is this happening? One policeman was beaten up yesterday for shooting a driver and now this... ?

P-Square; tweet solidarity message: brothers reconcile,


They tweeted solidarity messages at the same time. I'm a fan so this is really good news. Family is really everything. Guess all your prayers have been answered...:-). Long live P-Square!

Paul Okoye's wife Anita Isama also tweeted...see it after the cut...



THE TRUTH AT LAST? . ALI MODU SHERIFF'S ALLEGED CONFESSION - HOW WE SPONSOR BOKO HARAM .



The post had appeared online quite late in the day and all hell was let loose as, editors gathered at
the “Table” to brainstorm on the explosive information contained in the article purportedly ascribed to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, a former governor of Borno State and a recurrent decimal in the Boko
Haram debacle.

The writer of the post had used a catchy headline “Breaking News: Ali Modu Sheriff Threatens to Expose APC Link with Boko Haram.” For some on the editorial board, this piece of information, because that is what it is, a short but loaded piece of information that is capable of changing the game and altering the current fight against Boko Haram Islamic insurgents in the North-eastern part of Nigeria. An insurgency that has claimed the lives of several thousands of Nigerians, displaced countless others and left the economy of that part of the country in ruin.

To the uninitiated on the board, this piece of information reproduced here maybe too hot and sensitive to publish and expose to Nigerians what some now estimate is the truth coming out at last, but then what is actually hot about it and what has not been speculated or reasoned before about it?
If somebody like Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, as alleged, had threatened to expose APC’s link with Boko Haram and how Sanusi had served as the bridge for the funding of terrorist activities by moving funds from APC accounts to outside sources to procure weapons for Boko Haram, then the Nigerian government may not have to look too far, as SAS, as the former Borno State governor is fondly called by his admirers, is perhaps the greatest authority on Boko Haram and its destructive campaigns.

The post had said: “The former governor of Borno State and leading member of APC, Ali Modu Sheriff has threatened to expose the link between APC and Boko Haram. He made this threat after he accused Tinubu and the leadership of the APC of denying him a major role in shaping up the APC in
preparedness for next year's election. He also suspects that Tinubu has hijacked the party for his personal and selfish interests. Sherrif accused Buhari of being a coward, weak and wimpish general who has no stomach to challenge Tinubu's excesses. He told our correspondent how he single handedly formed Boko haram with the support and backing of Buhari, Atiku, and the northern leaders. He alleged that all the money Boko Haram looted from their armed robbery activities was deposited in APC accounts to make it difficult to trace to
them. He revealed how APC are allegedly funding Boko Haram through sophisticated channels of networks. He fingered Sanusi as the mastermind of the movement of funds from APC accounts, launders it, and use it to import arms for Boko Haram in the international arms market. We understand that most of the main arms dealers who supply Boko Haram are also responsible for supplying Al-qaeda, in Somalia, Mali, Algeria, and Kenya. They also have cells in Chad, Cameroon, and Niger. It is now obvious that APC and its leadership are at
the heart of terrorist activities in Nigeria.

They have displayed their arrogant disregard to law, by directing their members in the National Assembly to shut down the democratically elected government, and block the budget. They believe that they are untouchable, and don't care if Nigeria burns, because they can easily, wrongly and falsely blame the government, and the gullible people will believe them.”

As hard sell as the above may seem, a closer look at the history of Boko Haram and recent happenings and utterances of certain characters will reveal a need to weigh this post and begin to question the characters mentioned in it.

Ali Modu Sheriff and Boko Haram
If there is anything that is uncontrovertibly known about Boko Haram and their devilish activities, it is the role played by the former Borno State governor in forming the sect, supporting its growth and his prominent contribution to the transformation of the group to what it is today.

It will be belabouring the facts to reproduce here, Alimodu Sheriff’s involvement with Boko Haram; it will suffice to say that whatever statement credited to him should be considered weighty and authoritative. It is also instructive to note that the Senator seems to be grievously aggrieved at the moment, especially after his reported shouting face off with Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, who many believe has hijacked the All Progressive Congress. So Senator Ali Modu Sheriff may just have a reason to spill the beans.

Buhari, Atiku, Northern Elders and the Criminal Silence Close watchers of the Boko Haram insurgency and almost every Nigerian agree that the duo of General Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar have been too silent for too long about the
activities of Boko Haram in the North East.

It is on record that General Buhari has till date refused to come out and publicly
denounce the insurgents or any other form of violent attacks taking place in parts of the North by Boko Haram, while Alhaji Atiku Abubakar only recently shed what an analyst described as hypocritical crocodile tears over the killings in the North East.

That the two of them are prominent citizens of Nigeria and important rallying figures in the North puts a burden on them
to rise to the occasion and find lasting solution to the problems facing their region. More so, Atiku hails from Adamawa State, a state that remains a hotbed of Boko Haram
activities. But they both have decided to acquiesce to a conspiratorial silence that beats the imagination of right thinking Nigerians, which have fuelled beliefs in certain quarters that there may be more to it than meets the eye.

Aside General Buhari and Alhaji Atiku, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was also alleged to have mentioned the involvement of
Northern elders in the nurturing of Boko Haram insurgents.

This may not come to many Nigerians as a surprise if the threat of the Northern Elders Forum to make the country ungovernable for President Goodluck Jonathan in the run up to the 2011 general elections is brought to mind. They have practically, or so it seems, brought governance to a standstill
especially in the North East.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

The case against suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria seems to be getting complicated by the day. From accusations of maladministration to fraudulent activities and now to terrorism financing, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi seems to have his plate full and overflowing of crawling vermin.

Before the alleged threat by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, there had been a buzz in the media over a document linking the
suspended CBN governor to Boko Haram. Though APC and other attack dogs of the Kano prince had accused an aide of President Jonathan of being the source of the document, Sanusi has not come out to absolve himself of the allegation before the latest revelation.

As if to corroborate this accusation, the SSS, had in defending the seizure of Mr. Sanusi’s international Passport, said he was still under investigation for matters bordering on terrorism.

Nigerians and indeed the world will be waiting on Mr. Sanusi to come out clean of this latest accusation by defending himself and laying bare the facts.

The APC

The APC had reportedly said that if they took over power, Boko Haram will be curtailed in one month. Many wonder why if they have the magic wand, they have not shared the strategy or trick of erasing Boko Haram in one month with the federal
government in the face of the heavy casualties being recorded in the North East or are they merely looking on and playing
politics with the lives of innocent Nigerians? More noteworthy is the fact that Borno, Adamawa and Yobe are APC states, why haven’t they done wonders in those states yet? The way and manner the All Progressive party has carried itself and
conducted its affairs lately, especially as it relates to the Boko Haram insurgency leaves more to be desired as it continues
to politicise the mindless killings of hapless Nigerians.

Though not much can be said about Ali Modu’s alleged accusation of the party using its accounts as a route for ferrying money for the funding of the activities of Boko Haram, Nigerians may have to look more closely at the party and what it stands for!   SOURCE