News
Anambra State has approved Saturdays as school days in place of Monday following the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafara (IPOB).
A statement by Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Don Adinuba, confirmed that all headmasters had been directed to notify teachers, pupils as well as parents about the new development.
“Quality Assurance supervision and every other supervision, henceforth, will hold on Saturdays. Every permission for absence from classes on Saturdays must be addressed to the executive chairman, ASUBBEB through the E S following due process. Saturday classes will commence on October 30,” he said.
Adinuba said the state government approved Saturday classes because it wanted the children to learn well.
According to him, the state government was passionate about the learning of the children and never wanted them to miss anything.
He said the state government approved the Saturday classes so that the children will not lag behind.
The Sun
Gunmen abducted three worshippers at a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Obada Oko area of Ewekoro Local Government area, Ogun State, during a church service on Sunday.
A resident near the church, who identified the victims as Ifeoluwa Alani-Bello, Adebare Oduntan, and Mary Oliyide, said the kidnappers have contacted the families demanding a ransom of N6 million.
“The incident took place at the Cherubim & Seraphim Church, Ona-Ara, Oju-Irin in Obada Oko in the early hours of today (Sunday) after a night vigil held in the said church,” said the resident who preferred not to say his name for security reasons.
Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the command’s anti-kidnapping unit has been dispatched to the area to partner with the Obada Oko Division of the police to rescue the victims.
Oyeyemi reiterated police warnings to churches, last month, to stop organising prayer sessions at night, especially at forest areas, to avoid being kidnap victims.
“We have told our people to stop praying or holding vigils in the bush or isolated places like that place,” the police spokesperson said.
“But, if at all they must hold such programmes in such places, they should let us know so that police patrols vans can be extended to those places.
“As we speak, the state command anti-kidnapping unit has been dispatched to the area to partner with the Obada Oko Division of the police to ensure the victims are rescued.”
PT
Budgetary allocations for the Presidential Air Fleet have increased from N4.37bn in 2017 to N12.48bn in 2022, according to data obtained from the appropriation bills of the Federal Government within the period under review.
Jets in the Presidential Air Fleet serve President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and their households.
This shows an increase of N8.11bn or 185.58 per cent in five years, signalling a rise in the cost of running the Presidential Air Fleets.
On October 7, 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2022 budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly; a whopping N16.39tn, which will send the Federal Government on another borrowing spree of N6.23tn. According to the proposal, N12.48bn was appropriated for the PAFs.
Data show that budgetary allocations for the PAFs have been on a steady increase since 2017, except for 2020, where the allocation saw a slight drop by N503.75m against the preceding year.
In 2017, the proposed allocation was N4.37bn. Recurrent expenditure—comprising personnel remuneration and overhead—amounted to N4.37bn. N399.50m was allocated for capital projects.
In 2018, the proposed allocation was N7.26bn. Recurrent expenditure—comprising of personnel remuneration and overhead—amounted to N4.36bn. N2.90bn was allocated for capital projects. This showed an increase of 66.13 per cent from the previous year.
In 2019, the proposed allocation was N7.30bn. Recurrent expenditure—comprising of personnel remuneration and overhead—amounted to N4.36bn while N2.94bn was allocated for capital projects. This showed an increase of 0.55 per cent from the previous year.
In 2020, the proposed allocation was N6.79bn. Recurrent expenditure—comprising of personnel remuneration and overhead—amounted to N3.02bn while N3.77bn was allocated for capital projects.
The allocation for 2020 dropped by 6.99 per cent compared to 2019. This decrease which was in overhead cost may be connected to the global lockdown that ceased operations for several months.
In 2021, the proposed allocation was N12.55bn. Recurrent expenditure—comprising of personnel remuneration and overhead—amounted to N4.37bn while N8.18bn was allocated for capital projects. This showed an increase of 84.83 per cent from the previous year.
In 2022, the proposed allocation was N12.48bn. Recurrent expenditure—comprising of personnel remuneration and overhead—amounted to N4.35bn while N8.13bn was allocated for capital projects. Personnel remuneration for 2022 increased by N13.5m or 3.1 per cent from the previous year. The allocation for 2022 decreased by 0.56 per cent compared to 2021.
According to the breakdown, Buhari proposed N2bn for the repair of air navigational equipment, N210m for the purchase of Phase 7 Avionics for AW 139 helicopters, N1.6bn for general maintenance, N1bn for aircraft maintenance and N250m for aviation fuel.
Punch
Anambra state governorship election may suffer serious setback as the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared total lockdown in all states in south East from November 5 to November 10, to compel the federal government to release its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has fixed the Anambra gubernatorial election for November 6, 2021.
But in a statement issued by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said, “Following the adjournment of Nnamdi Kanu’s court case to 10th of November 2021, by the Federal High Court Abuja, it demanded all lovers of Biafra and Biafrans to sit at home from 5 to 10 November to ensure that their leader is released.
“We the great movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), wish to inform Biafrans, friends of Biafra and lovers of freedom that IPOB will lock down Biafra land from 5th of November to 10th of November except Sunday, November 7th, a day our people worship the Almighty God, Chukwu Okike Abiama, if the Nigeria Government fails to release our leader unconditionally before 4th of November 2021” he stated.
IPOB said its leader Nnamdi Kanu must be released unconditionally on or before November 4, 2021 “because he has not committed any offense known to any law.
According to the group, “failure to release Kanu on or before November 4, 2021 there will be one week Sit-At-Home beginning on November 5, 2021 till November 10.”
Kanu was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja on treasonable felony and terrorism charges.
The fresh seven-count charges against Kanu followed his arrest and extradition from Kenya after he jumped bail.
Kanu, however, pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
Daily Trust
The Nigerian Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), known as the eNaira, will officially be unveiled by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja on Sunday.
According to a statement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the digital currency was coming after detailed research, spanning many years.
It reads that, “the launch of the eNaira is a culmination of several years of research work by the CentralBank of Nigeria in advancing the boundaries of payments system in order to make financial transactions easier and seamless for every strata of the society.
Following series of engagements with relevant stakeholders including the banking community, fintech operators, merchants and indeed, a cross section of Nigerians, the CBN designed the digital currency, which shall be activated on Monday, October 25, 2021.
“The eNaira therefore marks a major step forward in the evolution of money and the CBN is committed to ensuring that the eNaira, like the physical Naira, is accessible by everyone.
“Given that the eNaira is a journey, the unveiling marks the first step in that journey, which will continue with a series of further modifications, capabilities and enhancements to the platforms.
“The CBN will continue to work with relevant partners to ensure a seamless process that will benefit every user, particularly those in the rural areas and the unbanked population.
“Since the eNaira is a new product, and amongst the first CBDCs in the world, we have put a structure to promptly address any issue that might arise from the pilot implementation of the eNaira. Accordingly, following Monday’s formal launch by the President, the Bank will further engage various stakeholders as we enter a new age consistent with global financial advancement.
“The theme of the eNaira is: “Same Naira, more possibilities”.
The Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council and the Coalition of Non- Governmental Organisations led by the Human Right Writers Association (HURIWA), have accused the Security agencies of culpability in the disappearance of Mr. Tordue Salem a political reporter with the Vanguard Newspaper.
Chairman of the Council, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbeche and Emmanuel Onwubiko of (HURIWA) spoke at a joint press conference held in Abuja over the disappearance of the political reporter.
Salem was reported missing a week ago by his family as he did not return home on Wednesday and his office could not tell of his where about the next day as he did not show up for work.
Ogbeche maintained that issues around the missing journalist do not point to a kidnap by any bandit as they have not reached the family since he was declared missing a week ago.
He noted that, it was a bad development for the profession and the government human right records.
He threatened that if the journalist is not released the Union will embark on a protest match to the office of the IGP to demand his release.
“This is not a case of kidnapping. The Council will remain convinced that if it were the kidnappers they would have made contact with his family or his employers which have not been the case.
“When Mr. Tordue Salem, was declared missing by her colleagues, we quickly informed the police, as well as the Department of State security.”
But as we speak, they have not reached out to us. There is no concrete reason to believe that they are making efforts to find out where he was whisked and kept.
“For this, we believe that the security agencies are culpable in his disappearance.
Comrade Ogbeche said “the mother of all protest will come if the government refused to act on the digital foot prints of this age to find the journalist.
“We are giving them 24 hours to come up with concrete explanations. When that is not done, we will be forced to go to the Inspector General of police to make a public demand.
“You understand? So that the whole world will witness that a journalist went missing and the Nigerian government has failed in its responsibility to ensure this constitutional guarantee, to protect its citizens.
He urged journalists to take issues of physical and online security, very seriously.
Emmanuel Onwubiko, Human Rights Writers Association, while expressing the support of the civil society coalition said, “We totally support what our chairman has said. They are very factual and they’re accurate.”
He noted that many missing persons were later reported by victims of human right abuses who got freed and mentioned that they shared cell with such persons during their incarceration.
He called on the government to allow a team of civil society organisations to visit cells on defined intervals to mitigate situations of missing persons held by the state.
“Even the International community has even written a booklet on the cases of forced disappearances.
“A lot of people will just go missing and at the end of the day, the only way you find out that such person is in the custody of the security agencies is that, if somebody somewhere manages to come out of those detention facilities, the person will now inform the parents or go to the media.
“We totally believe that this guy was made to disappear by person, either working for the state or persons working directly for the government.
“That is why we have consistently advocated the practice of either weekly or monthly visitation to detention camps all over the country.”
Reactions have been trailing the accusation made by the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and minister of Justice , Abubakar Malami against the duo of Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho who were agitating for self actualisation of their people.
Malami had alleged that Kanu has questions to answer over Akunyili's husband, Gulak, others' death while Igboho was accused of having link with jailed terrorism sponsor.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo slams Malami
But reacting to allegation by the Malami-led committee, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said it was unfortunate that IPOB would be blamed for the crises rocking the South-East, including killings by Fulani herdsmen.
The spokesman for Ohanaeze, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, in an interview, said, “Our understanding of Malami’s address is that he has heaped all the criminalities across the country over the period on IPOB.
“It appears right now that investigations are already concluded on who killed Dr Chike Akunyili, the husband of the late Dora Akunyili and Ahmed Gulak and those who destroyed the palace of the Oba of Lagos. His remarks also showed that he already knows the killers.
“As the Attorney General of the Federation, whatever remark Malami makes should be highly founded on facts. It’s not supposed to be involved in speculations.
“If, on the other hand, he has not finished the investigation, what he is saying is mere hyperbole.
“If investigations are now completed, he owes it a duty to let the people of Nigeria know who killed Gulak and Dr Akunyili and we will now see the linkage between those people and IPOB.
“Otherwise, one little falsehood or error in this whole will destroy it and render this whole thing invalid. We want to state again that reeling out all the crimes that have been going on across the country is not a solution. Ohanaeze Ndigbo right from time believes that the Federal Government should adopt dialogue on this matter.
“Irrespective of whether you call them terrorists or not, we’re saying that adopting military or jackboot approach is an unwinnable war. We believe using dialogue or alternative dispute resolution will go a long way to achieving peace.”
Igboho debunks allegations, dares Malami to name alleged lawmaker
Also, Igboho denied the allegation against him that he was being financed by a Boko Haram sponsor, Muhammad.
While reacting to the allegations through a statement by his counsel, Chief Yomi Aliyyu (SAN), the Yoruba Nation agitator challenged the AGF to name the lawmaker who he claimed transferred money to him.
The statement was titled, “Chief Sunday Igboho is a businessman, not a terrorist.”
It read in part, “Our attention has been drawn to a text of press conference by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice wherein he fruitlessly tried to paint our client and those patronising his car trade as terrorists and/or financiers of terrorists.
“I have gone through the text. Sunday was alleged to have transferred the sum of N12.7m to Abbal Bako & Sons owned by Abdullahi Umar.
“Transferring money to bureau de change to buy dollars is what is done by every businessman of our client’s calibre. Thank God that his passports and various bills of ladings were carted away by DSS during the ungodly invasion of July 1, 2021.
“Thus, so far there is no evidence of receipt of money from Abbal Bako & Sons or Abdullahi Umar going by the text conference. What the AGF stated are mere conjectures. Not a hard fact.
“Our client according to him paid Umar and not vice versa thus belying what the Honourable Attorney General of Federation earlier said that Chief Sunday Adeyemo is being financed by people. The picture the learned AGF wanted to paint is that our client is being financed by Abdullah Umar allegedly involved in terrorist financing. Who is now financing who?
“Again, Chief Adeyemo is a car dealer trading in the name of Adesun International Concept Ltd. Does it mean that anybody buying a car from him or selling a car to him is a terrorist?”
The counsel said Igboho was not involved in the activities of Yoruba self-determination until 2020, saying finding over N273m turnover between October 2013 and September 2020 showed that he was not a poor man.
“I challenge the AGF to mention the lawmaker that sent money to Chief Sunday Adeyemo for terrorism act,” saying such a person would be taken to court.
“Up till date, our client has not been prosecuted or found liable for any criminal act or terrorism. There is also a valid and subsisting court judgement that agitation for self-determination is not an act of terrorism but the fundamental human right of any citizen.
“My learned brother Silk and Hon AGF knows that suspicion, no matter how great, cannot grant conviction.
“Chief Sunday Adeyemo is not a terrorist but a campaigner for self-determination.”
Malami’s reasons shallow – Akintoye
Also reacting, Yoruba Nation arrowhead, Prof Banji Akintoye, accused the AGF of being shallow and inconsistent with his accusations heaped on Igboho.
The octogenarian said it was shallow of the AGF to link a so-called transaction in 2013 to the struggle for self-determination which began in 2020.
In a statement on Friday by his spokesman, Maxwell Adeleye, the 86-year-old scholar and historian, said Malami’s accusation was “coined to tarnish a noble and constitutional struggle of the Yoruba people.”
The leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination group, Ilana Omo Oodua, said the AGF’s statement linking Ighoho and some indicted sponsors of terrorism “is empty, watery, cruel and irresponsible, stating that the Nigerian government is just chasing shadows and attempting to bully the struggle for self-determination of the Yoruba people out of relevance.”
“We have read the statement credited to Mr Abubakar Malami, on behalf of the Nigerian Government. Our preliminary position is that having been defeated legally and morally, the government of Nigeria is now chasing shadows, bullying the truth, and making an inconsistent attempt to tarnish a noble struggle of the Yoruba people,” Akintoye said in a statement.
It was titled, ‘Terrorism: Nigerian Government Chasing Shadows, Inconsistent, Attempting to Bully a Noble, Constitutional Struggle of the People for Freedom – Ilana Omo Oodua’.
Similarly, the Coordinating counsel for Igboho, Olasupo Ojo, also described the allegation by Malami as unreasonable.
Reacting, Ojo said, “Igboho buys cars from Dubai, Germany, from the United States and other places. He has to pay or is he going to be asking from the person who sells cars to say, ‘Are you a terrorist?’ It is very stupid.
“All those who have been exposed as sponsors of terrorism, have they been arrested? Nobody has been charged to court. So, they are just ranting by all means, trying to look for a charge to hang him with.
“We are challenging them to come out with the details, publish it and we will defend it totally.
“Everybody knows Sunday Igboho is a businessman; he imports and sells cars to legislators, to politicians and others.
“So, the money that was given to him is for what purpose. They (government) should ask the owners of the accounts; have they interviewed them and they said the money they gave to Igboho is for terrorism or the vehicle that they purchased from Sunday Igboho? It is baseless and unreasonable for the government to conclude just like that.
“The allegation is defamatory of the character of Chief Sunday Igboho and we are going to sue them for defamation of character, we will sue them.”
Punch
The Abolongo Correctional Centre in Oyo town in Oyo State was on Friday invaded by gunmen.
Nigerian Newstrack gathered that gunmen attacked the facility with explosives around 10.30pm and set the inmates free.
A search by security operatives for the fleeing inmates has reportedly begun.
The Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Command of Nigerian Correctional Services, Lanre Anjonrin, confirmed the attack, saying, “I am there now and we are assessing the level of damage done. We will make our findings known later.”
The Federal Government, on Friday, alleged that some countries are aiding the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, who made the allegation while briefing journalists, insisted that some state actors aided Kanu after he escaped from the country. “We have also established that Kanu is not alone in his subversive activities. He has accomplices in Nigeria and abroad, individuals and groups as well as state and non-state actors who are aiding and facilitating his campaign against the people and state of Nigeria.
“Some of the state actors aided Kanu, even as a fugitive, in his destructive mission, ignoring the terrorist nature of his activities. “We call on these countries to desist from aiding subversive acts by Kanu and IPOB against the state of Nigeria and its people.
“Conversely, there are some friendly countries which, recognising the status of IPOB as a terrorist organization, have either banned the activities of IPOB or placed Kanu on Stop List. “To these peace loving countries that have put Kanu on their Stop Lists and banned IPOB from operating in their territories, we express our appreciation”, Malami stated.
The AGF disclosed that President Buhari had after Kanu was re-arrested in June, inaugurated a Presidential Ad-hoc Committee to investigate activities of the IPOB. He said that 24 members of the committee were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Federal Ministry of Information (MoI), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
According to him, the outcome of an investigation that was conducted by the committee, revealed that the IPOB and the Eastern Security Network, ESN, have so far, killed 175 security personnel comprising of 128 Police men, 37 military personnel and 10 other security operatives.
He said the investigation further revealed that Kanu’s broadcasts fuelled the #EndSARS protests that led to destruction of public facilities, including the attack on the Oba of Lagos.
“While in self-exile, Nnamdi Kanu intensified his subversive campaign, using online Radio Biafra to instigate violence and incite members of IPOB to commit violent attacks against civil and democratic institutions, particularly the security personnel, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and civilians.
“He instigated the destruction of public and private properties across the country.
“As a result of these criminal activities, IPOB was proscribed and designated a terrorist organization by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in an Order made on 20th September 2017.
“Despite the proscription of IPOB by the Federal Government, Nnamdi Kanu continued the subversive campaign, instigating and inciting broadcasts to direct members of the IPOB to launch attacks on government.
“The EndSARS protests of October 2020 played into the sinister plans of Nnamdi Kanu, whereby he seized the protests through subversive and inciting online broadcasts and actively commanded and directed attacks on security personnel and facilities.
“As a result of these broadcasts, members of IPOB attacked and killed security personnel and burnt down Police stations, Correctional centers, INEC offices, bus terminals, the Palace of Oba of Lagos, Banks, hospitals, shopping malls and vehicles, amongst others.
“On 12th December, 2020, Eastern Security Network” (ESN) was formed by Nnamdi Kanu as an armed wing of IPOB with the mandate to advance the nefarious agenda of the outlawed group.
“ESN continued to launch attacks on security personnel, civilians perceived as enemies as well as destruction of private and public properties. “The destructive activities of IPOB/ESN pose serious threat to Nigeria’s National Security and its corporate existence, which resulted into re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and members of his group.
“The Committee finds as a fact, that consequent upon the instigating directives of Nnamdi Kanu, members of IPOB/ESN carried out massive attacks on democratic institutions especially INEC Facilities with a view to hampering democratic process in Nigeria.
“These attacks that were carried out between October 2020 and June 2021 include the following:
“That acting on the instigating directives of Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB members and #EndSARS protesters attacked and killed many security agents, destroyed several public and private properties, including Police stations, public transport buses and other facilities across the country.
“That on 21st October 2020, Nnamdi Kanu through an online call-in radio programme (Radio Biafra), further instigated IPOB members to burn down all police stations and kill Government security forces, which was carried out and several Security personnel (especially Police Officers) were killed and public and private properties destroyed.
“One hundred and seventy-five (175) security personnel were killed by IPOB/ESN, comprising one hundred and twenty eight (128) Police men, thirty seven (37) military personnel and ten (10) other security operatives;
“Killing of prominent Nigerians, (recently there were gruesome killings of traditional leaders: Obi 1 of Okwudor autonomous community, Eze E. Anayochukwu Durueburuo and Eze Sampson Osunwa of Ihebineowerre autonomous community as well as the killings of Dr. Chike Akunyili and eight others as well as the killing of Alhaji Ahmed Gulak on 30th May. 2021);
“That as a consequence of Nnamdi Kanu’s broadcasts, there were nineteen (19) attacks on INEC facilities that resulted in the destruction of offices as well as burning of eighteen (18) INEC logistical vehicles, several election materials, equipment and ICT gadgets in Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo States;
“That one hundred and sixty-four (164) police stations and formations, including Police Headquarters, Owerri, Imo State were attacked by IPOB/ESN leading to the death of one hundred and twenty-eight (128) police men {as stated in III above}; one hundred forty four (144) injured while six hundred twenty eight (628) vehicles were destroyed.
“That three hundred and ninety-six (396) firearms and seventeen thousand seven hundred and thirty eight (17,738) ammunition were carted away during the IPOB/ESN attacks;
“That there were three (3) IPOB/ESN attacks on Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), including the Headquarters of NCoS, Owerri, Imo State where one thousand eight hundred and forty one (1,841) inmates escaped;
“That the Headquarters of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Umuahia, Abia State was also attacked by IPOB/ESN leading to the death of one (1) officer;
“That there were several IPOB/ESN attacks and destruction (arson) of public and private properties during the EndSARS and Biafra agitations across the country, especially in the South-East and South-South regions, notably the Palace of the Oba of Lagos where twelve (12) flats were completely looted and vandalized, the country home of the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, was burnt, over one hundred and fifty (150) buses burnt at the Lagos Bus Terminal, Sen. Ndoma Egba’s home in Calabar Municipal, Cross River State, was completely looted and vandalized, Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, City Hall Race Course, First Bank Branch Lagos, Lagos State Public Works Commission, Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Marina, Lagos, High Court Igbosere, Lagos, were all burnt, amongst other heinous crimes committed”, Malami added.
He said information on countries supporting Kanu and the IPOB would be made public in due time.
Asked if the press briefing indicting Kanu was not subjudice in view of the fact that the case is already pending in court, Malami, said his office has a constitutional responsibility to act in public interest by keeping Nigerians informed.
“Nigerians, in public interest have to be carried along as it relates to protection of their rights and properties”.
He further maintained that Kanu’s presumption of innocence would not be affected by findings of the Committee.
“The court is the final arbiter that will eventually determine”.
Asked if it was in public interest that journalists were blocked from covering Kanu’s trial, Malami, said it was not within his powers or that of the Executive arm of the government to decide how a judge should coordinate a court proceeding.
“Within the context of prevailing legislations, the court preserves the right to restrict access. It is left for the press to seek clarification from the court”, he added.
Vanguard
The Federal Government, on Friday, said its investigations identified a federal lawmaker in the National Assembly as a major financier of Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, who made the disclosure while briefing newsmen, however declined to reveal the identity of the said lawmaker.
He said the information would be made public at the appropriate time.
According to him, an investigation that was carried out by a 24-member Ad-hoc Committee that was constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari, equally linked Igboho to 43 bank accounts in nine financial institutions in the country.
He said a report that was submitted to FG by the Committee which has members that were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Federal Ministry of Information (MoI), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), exposed that Igboho is a Director and signatory to a company, Adesun International Concept Limited, which was registered on April 23, 2010.
The AGF, who also disclosed that he was the head of the investigative Committee, named two other persons, Oladele Oyetunji and Aderopo Adeyemo as Igboho’s co-Directors of the company.
He said: “The major financier of the fugitive and separatists was found to be a Federal Law Maker in the National Assembly.
“A total sum of one hundred and twenty-seven million, one hundred and forty-five thousand Naira only (127, 145, 000. 00) was received by Igboho from his financiers between 22nd October, 2013 and 28th September, 2020 through Adesun International Concept Ltd accounts.
“A total sum of two hundred and seventy-three million, one hundred and ninety- eight thousand, two hundred Naira only (N273,198,200.00) transaction outflows was recorded from Sunday Igboho’s account between 15th March, 2013 and 11 the March, 2021.
“Investigation reveals that Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) transferred the sum of twelve million seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N12, 750,000) to Abbal Bako & Sons.
“It might be recalled that Abbal Bako & Sons and its promoter Abdullahi Umar Usman are suspects in the on-going Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation. Abdullahi Umar Usman is by way of financial transaction connected to Surajo Abubakar Muhammad (who was sentenced to life imprisonment in UAE on charges of financing terrorism [Boko Haram].
“This report shows the nexus between separatists’ agitation, terrorism financing and disruptions of peace in the country.
The report found connections of financial transaction between Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) and some construction companies and businesses among others.
“Having received the reports, the Federal Government remains resolute in its determination to have a peaceful Nigeria. The Federal Government will do the needful, within the context of the legal provisions, in ensuring that the matter is giving the deserved attention and those found guilty will be made to face the wrath of the law”, Malami added.
It will be recalled that operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, had in the wee hours of July 2, raided Igboho’s Ibadan residence, an operation the agency confirmed led to the death of two persons and the arrest of about 13 others.
The DSS, through its spokesman, Dr. Peter Afunanya, said it carried out the raid after intelligence reports revealed that Igboho stockpiled weapons in his house.
The agency thereafter launched a manhunt for Igboho who was subsequently arrested in neighbouring Cotonou, Benin Republic, while trying to travel to Germany.
Vanguard
More...
Thirty-four suspects arrested by security agents during a clampdown on protesters marking the first anniversary of the #EndSARS protest at the Lekki Toll Gate on Wednesday have been arraigned in court.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, in a statement on Thursday, said the suspects, some of whom were arrested with different weapons, were arraigned in Magistrate’s Court 5, in the Oshodi area of the state.
He stated that the memorial protest was peaceful without threat to the security of lives and property until some hoodlums infiltrated the protesters.
He noted that one Shina Edun, of Man O’ War personnel attached to the Lekki Concession Company, was stabbed in the stomach by the hoodlums, adding that the victim was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Ajisebutu said, “Following the criminal act by the hoodlums, the police responded swiftly and dispersed them with minimum force. Consequently, 34 hoodlums were arrested. Two cutlasses, one hammer, a jackknife and assorted criminal charms were recovered from them.
“The arrested suspects have been arraigned in Magistrate Court 5, Oshodi on the same day before Magistrate Israel Adelakun for the offence of conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.
He continued, “At the end of their trial, two of the accused persons pleaded guilty and were fined the sum of N10, 000 each. 30 others pleaded not guilty and were granted bail with one surety and N20,000 in like sum.
"One of them was discharged and acquitted, while one other named Chukwu Chika, 24, who was arrested with a sharp cutlass and assorted charms confessed that he deliberately came to cause violence and mayhem.
“The court ordered the police to carry out a thorough investigation on his case and charge him to court appropriately.”
Ajisebutu said the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, apologized to any media person whose right was inadvertently infringed upon while the security personnel were preventing a breakdown of law and order.
“The CP assures members of the public that, in line with the policy of the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Usman, of making the police accountable to members of the public, uphold the tenets and principles of fundamental human rights, and professional in carrying out their statutory duties, training and retraining of the officers and men shall continue to be intensified,” the statement read in part.
Punch
Muhammad Nami, executive chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), says the agency is proposing road infrastructure tax in Nigeria to make the informal sector contribute to building a modern society.
The informal sector has business activities that operate outside of government regulation and are largely unregistered. They include commercial bus drivers, artisans such as dressmakers, hairdressers, vulcanisers etc., mainly those in the low socio-economic strata, with low skills and poor education.
In a statement signed by Johannes Wojuola, media aide to the FIRS chairman, Nami disclosed this on Thursday while receiving a delegation of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by Chris Isiguzo, the National President, in his office, in Abuja.
According to the statement, Nami said the proposed road infrastructure tax to be administered by FIRS would provide the government with adequate funding for road construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance.
The statement added that the scheme would also provide the needed security for roads in the country.
“The only way to make the informal sector contribute to building a modern society is by making them pay when they use the roads,” Nami said.
“That is why we are proposing that government should consider introducing Road Infrastructure Tax in Nigeria.
“In many jurisdictions, road users pay for the use of road infrastructure as such it shouldn’t be seen as an additional burden on our citizens because it has the potential of making life better for all of us.”
Speaking further, Nami stated that the economy presently relies heavily on non-oil revenues to discharge its statutory responsibility of paying salaries and providing social amenities to the citizenry.
“Without the tax that you pay, governments at all levels would not be able to fulfil their mandate to the electorates. Tax money also helps to ensure the roads you travel are safe and always in good condition,” he added.
Nami also stated that despite sharp practices by some companies who were in the habit of evading taxes, by shifting their capital and profits to tax havens, as well as low revenue from Petroleum Profit Tax, due to the shortfall in crude oil production among other factors, FIRS has been putting forward critical reforms that have been yielding positive impact on the Service’s operations.
“Adopting technology in tax administration is crucial in improving domestic revenue mobilisation in view of dwindling oil prices in order to avoid falling into a debt crisis. It is against this backdrop that the TaxPro-Max became the channel for filing Naira-denominated tax returns effectively from 7th June 2021,” Nami said.
“The TaxPro-Max enables seamless registration, filing of returns, payment of taxes and automatic credit of withholding tax as well as other credits to the Taxpayer’s accounts, among other features. The technology also provides a single-view to Taxpayers for all transactions with the Service.”
Despite ongoing pending legal tussle on value-added tax (VAT) collection, Nami added that FIRS had created ten VAT regional coordination offices across the country to drive revenue collection.
He said FIRS collected N4.2 trillion between January and September 2021 as VAT following the “successful facilitation of ISO 27001:2013 Certification of the FIRS’ Exchange of Information Centre and the achievement of 114.66 percent of the VAT collection target in the first half of the year”.
While congratulating Isiguzo for his recent reelection as the national president, he urged NUJ members to be constructive and “should always confirm or verify sources and accuracy of information”.
Earlier, the NUJ national president said the visit of the union was part of his resolve to engage critical institutions as a stakeholder in charting a way forward for the country’s collective good.
Isiguzo described FIRS as a vital institution in the country, which “requires all the support when the country is security-challenged, adversely affected by Covid-19 and faced with FOREX crisis as well as political intrigues from different parts of the nation”.
The Cable
Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc on Thursday provided statistics on misalignments in the power value chain, saying that about 14,000 megawatts of electricity was contracted to power generation companies.
Managing Director, NBET, Nnaemeka Ewelukwa, gave a breakdown of the quantum of Nigeria’s electricity demand, what was contracted, available capacity, what was produced, among others.
He provided these statistics while speaking during a plenary session at the World Energy Day Conference 2021, with the theme, ‘Energy Transition: Gas as Fuel of Choice’, organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
This came as the Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Nigerian National Petroleum Company, Mohammed Ahmed, told participants at the event that about 77 million Nigerians were currently without access to electricity.
Providing statistics on Nigeria’s power situation, Ewelukwa said, “In terms of situating the gas discussion within the context of the power sector, we have some misalignments in the value chain which the government is trying to address.
“And that misalignment starts with the fact that in terms of the demand for electricity in the country, it is about 28,000MW. But when you look at the contracted capacity for electricity, it is about 14,000MW.
“You look at the current available capacity of electricity in terms of what was contracted, it is about 7,600MW. You look at transmission capacity, it is about 8,100MW.”
He added, “Now, of all these statistics the most important is what is the highest volume of electricity ever put on the grid; it is 5,800MW. So you see that it keeps dropping.”
The NBET boss explained that the 5,800MW was the highest peak ever attained in the history of Nigeria, but stressed that what was actually available on a day-to-day basis was between 4,000MW and 5,000MW.
“And of that 4,000MW to 5,000MW, because of issues relating to tariff, such as concerns about cost reflective tariff, what actually is paid on a monthly basis by the distribution companies is not up to that 4,000MW that is available,” Ewelukwa stated.
He, however, noted that the good thing was that there were plans within the government space to address the anomalies.
On his part, Ahmed, who was represented by the Managing Director, NNPC Gas and Power Investment Limited, Salihu Jamari, said Nigeria had about 200 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves that could be used for power generation, among others.
Punch
Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed that suspected bandits on Wednesday destroyed a portion of the Abuja-Kaduna rail track with explosives, forcing a disruption of train services on the route.
According to the Managing Director of the NRC, Fidet Okhiria, explosives damaged the rail track at a spot between Dutse and Rijana, an area that had recorded numerous bandits’ attacks along the Kaduna Abuja highway.
Okhiria said the Corporation was making efforts to restore train services on the route.
“Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure that the train services along the Kaduna-Abuja route are fully restored,” the official said.
Earlier, a former senator representing Kaduna Central district, Shehu Sani, had reported on his Facebook page that suspected bandits attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train. He said the bandits planted an explosive that damaged the rail track and shattered the windshield of the train’s engine, Wednesday evening.
Sani said the gunmen also opened fire at the train on Thursday morning, targeting the driver and the tank of the train. “It happened between Dutse and Rijana stations. The Driver struggled to move towards Kaduna Rigasa station.
“This early morning, I was on board when our train ran over another explosive damaged railings. The train nearly skid off its track, then we miraculously escaped. All Kaduna Abuja train operations need to be suspended for today until this issue is addressed,” Sani wrote.
A staffer of the NRC quoted by Daily Nigerian newspaper said the attack was deadly.
“The bandits first attacked the last Abuja-Kaduna train bearing number AK9 between Rijana and Dutse. The train came under heavy gunfire, but it struggled to stutter for about seven kilometres and stopped as the gunshots damaged the fuel tank,” the newspaper quoted the unnamed staff.
“At the point of the attack, the train was unable to make contact with Abuja. Hours later, contact was made and a relief locomotive arrived past midnight.
“And then the morning train from Kaduna to Abuja, bearing number KA2, also ran over fractured rail tracks, but successfully completed the journey. Suspected explosives devices were planted on the track, but God in his infinite mercy saved the travellers and train.”
The NRC had earlier on Monday announced the reduction of regular transportation of passengers on the route from 10 trips to four daily, citing maintenance work.
Pictures circulating on social media showed a shattered front window of the train, damages to the coaches and people who were inspecting destroyed parts of the rail line.
Some travellers are opting to travel by rail after several people were kidnapped by armed bandits on some of Nigeria's highways, especially in the northwest of the country.
Nigeria is battling an Islamist insurgency in the northeast and armed bandits who have kidnapped hundreds of students, travellers and villagers for ransom, leaving the population terrified.
PT/Reuters