Police recover 19 cars, SUVs from ex-IG Arase

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has ordered an investigation into the purchase and distribution of vehicles by his predecessors.
It was gathered that the probe was informed by the discovery that retiring officers, including former  IGs and Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, were in the habit of appropriating police vehicles for their personal use.

Findings on Sunday show that the probe, which is being handled by the Special Investigation Panel, had identified and recovered 19 police vehicles from former IG, Solomon Arase.

Some of the vehicles include assorted sedans, Sports Utility Vehicles and pick-up vans.

The vehicles, it was learnt, were apart from the four vehicles he was entitled to take away with him on retirement.

A senior officer, who is familiar with the investigation, said the SIP was still working to recover five additional vehicles from the former police boss.

It was learnt that the SIP, headed by Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ali Amodu, (retd.), had also recovered a number of police vehicles from other retired DIGs.

The recovered vehicles were said to have been distributed to newly promoted Commissioners of Police and AIGs.

The source said, “We are making progress in our investigations. We were able to trace 24 vehicles to the former IG and we have recovered 19 already. He has yet to release the remaining five, but we won’t let up until we recover all the vehicles. We have pictures of the vehicles and they have been documented, so he can’t deny it, the recovery is a fact.”

Arase had earlier denied taking away 24 vehicles when his successor, Idris, made the allegation during an interview with journalists on July 18, 2016, shortly after he assumed office.

Idris had further alleged that the seven DIGs, who retired alongside Arase, also carted away between seven and eight cars each.

Arase, however, denied the allegations of his successor, saying he did not go away with any police vehicle.

He said,

“What am I going to do with 24 cars? Do I want to open a car shop? This is a malicious accusation. There are ways of verifying issues rather than engaging in media propaganda.”

Arase said all vehicles bought by the police under him were distributed to the state commands and other appropriate units of the Nigeria Police Force.

Former minister, Obanikoro offers to refund N785m slush fund

Embattled former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro may soon be let out of custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following indications that he has agreed to make refunds of the money he allegedly collected from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The anti-graft agency accused the ex-minister of collecting N785 million from ONSA while in office. His friends and associates are understood to be rallying around him to raise the funds as a first step to secure his bail..
Obanikoro is understood to be targeting  N100 million as first installment  of the refund.
From ONSA, about N4.685 billon was transferred to Sylva McNamara Limited, a company allegedly linked to the ex-Minister.

Obanikoro told EFCC interrogators  that N3.880 billion of the N4.685 billion was allocated to Governor Ayodele Fayose  of Ekiti State  and  Senator Iyiola Omisore.

He also said he handed over $5.377 million (about N60 million then) cash to Fayose at Spotless Hotel, Ado-Ekiti in the presence of the former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Dr. Tope Aluko and other party stalwarts.

He said the balance of N785 million was expended on alleged anti-Boko Haram campaign in Lagos and the South-West.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The ex-minister has been cooperating with detectives and he appears willing to refund some cash out of the N785 million traced to Sylvan McNamara.

“I think his associates and friends have rallied around him, having discovered that the bulk of the cash from ONSA went to Fayose and Omisore.

“I think he might initially refund N100 million to get bail reprieve in order to prevail on others who benefited from the N785 million to repay the slush funds.

“The refund is one of the issues delaying the granting of bail to the ex-minister.”

Obanikoro had said:  “The balance of N785 milion were used to prosecute the following: 1. procurement of souvenirs for the promotion of anti-Boko Haram insurgency in Lagos; 2. N200million for surveillance activities; 3. N200 million and other remaining funds were for operations managed by Taiwo Kareem.

Rotimi Amaechi asked me to help nullify Fayose’s election - Judge

Another Justice of the Supreme Court yesterday accused Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi and Science Minister Ogbonnaiya Onu of being the architect of his travails.

Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who was arrested by Department of State Services (DSS) operatives for alleged corruption, blamed it all on his refusal to cooperate with the duo, who he said had requested him to influence some electoral cases in their favour.

He alleged that Amaechi and Onu asked him to assist them in relation to the governorship election disputes in Ekiti and Ebonyi states.

Justice Ngwuta alleged that Amaechi, who claimed to be acting on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, wanted him to facilitate the annulment of Ayodele Fayose’s election so that Kayode Fayemi (Minister of Solid Mineral) could participate in a rerun election.

Justice Inyang Okoro has also accused Amaechi of trying to bribe him. Justice Ngwuta said Onu had sought his help to facilitate the victory of the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the Ebonyi State governorship election dispute.

Justice Nqwuta, in his October 18, 2016 letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, accused DSS operatives of planting the money they claimed to have recovered in his home there.

“My Noble Lord, I am a victim of my own resolve never to violate my sacred oath of office as a judicial officer.  Politicians and their collaborators have been hunting me on that account. 

It started in Ebonyi State where I was falsely accused before a panel set up by NJC in August 2000.  It was replicated in 2009 when I was pulled from my division, Calabar, to preside over a motion filed by Senator Andy Uba seeking to be a Governor without going through the process of election.  In each case I was exonerated. 

My present plight started sometime between 2013 and 2014.  I represented the then Chief Justice of Nigeria in an event organised in the International Conference Centre.  Hon. Rotimi Amaechi came in late and sat next to me at the high table. 

He introduced himself to me and we exchanged contacts.  A few weeks after, Fayose’s case was determined in the Court of Appeal.  Amaechi called me by 6.45 am.  He said he had come to see me, but was told I had left for my office. 

When he said he would return in the evening, I demanded to know what he wanted, but he would not tell me.  He did not come that evening but came the following morning when I was already prepared to go to work. 

He begged me to ensure that Fayose’s election was set aside and another election ordered for his friend Fayemi to contest.  I told him I would not help him and that even if I am on the panel I have only my one vote. 

After the Rivers State governorship election was determined by the Court of Appeal, he called to tell me his ears were full and he would like to tell me what he heard.  I told him I was out of Abuja at the time. 

On my return, he came in the evening and even before he sat down he barked ‘You have seen Wike’.  I asked him whether that was a question or a statement.  Then he made a call and asked me to speak with someone.  The man he called said he was a DSS man.  We exchanged greetings and I handed the phone to him. 

Next, he said ‘Oga is not happy.’  I asked him who is the unhappy ‘Oga’ and he answered ‘Buhari’.  I retorted ‘go and talk to his wife.’  He got very angry, and left, remarking ‘we shall see’ several times. 

Your Lordship may recall one morning when I pleaded not be on the panel for Rivers Appeal.  Your Lordship said I was already on the panel and asked me to explain why I made the request to be excluded. 

When I explained what transpired the previous night, Your Lordship told me Amaechi had also attempted to influence other Justices.  My Lord, on the day we heard the appeal with your Lordship presiding, we were allowed lunch break at 4.20 pm. 

The moment I got into my chambers he, Amaechi, called.  When he told who was calling, I said to him, ‘Your Excellency, you want to issue more threats?’  He replied Have you been threatened before?’  I replied ‘I know a threat when I hear one even if veiled. In any case I will not talk to you’ and I switched off my phone. 

 The people who failed in their attempt to destroy me in Ebonyi in 2000 and in Enugu in Andy Uba’s case in the Court of Appeal, Enugu in 2009 are now supplying Amaechi with information to fight me for my negative response to his demands, especially my answer to his statement that ‘Oga was not happy.’

On the role allegedly played by Dr. Onu, Justice Ngwuta added:

“When the governorship election appeal from my state, Ebonyi, came to the Court of Appeal, one Mr. Igwenyi, a senior staff of Federal Judicial Service Commission came to my chambers and told me that the former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu had pleaded with him to convince me to see him, Dr. Onu. 

I asked him to call Dr. Onu; he did and I wanted to know why he wanted to see me.  He said it was confidential.  I asked when he wanted to see me and he said he would like me to come in the evening.  I told Igwenyi that he would have to take me to Dr. Onu in his car and bring me back. 

I had wanted him to listen to what Dr. Onu had to say, but when we arrived, Dr Onu put him in a different room.  He asked me whether I know the Hon. President of the Court of Appeal and I told him that His Lordship was my Presiding Justice in the Court of Appeal, Benin division. 

He asked of my relationship with the PJA and I said it was cordial.  He nodded his head several times in apparent satisfaction.  

He told me that the candidate for the Labour Party was ready to switch over to APC if he could help him win the appeal in the Court of Appeal and that in appreciation of the undertaking to come over to his party, he had obtained the services of three Justices of the Court of Appeal to ensure victory for Labour Party. 

He said he needed one to convince the PJA to include his three Justices of the Court of Appeal in the five-man panel to hear the appeal.  I told him I would not help him and that I could not in good conscience convey such request even to a Customary Court Judge. 

He was disappointed and asked me whether I knew the husband of the PJA.  I told him I did not know the man.  I bid him good night and left.  Igwenyi joined me in the passage and when he drove me back to my home I told him what Dr. Onu wanted.  Igwenyi apologised to me and assured me that he would not have bothered me if he had known what Dr. Onu wanted me to do."

Buhari's close friends won't be spared in the fight against corruption -Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that president Buhari's friends and associates will not be exempted from the anti-corruption war.
Speaking during a special interview session with journalists at the presidential villa on Tuesday, the Vice President said: 

“The major drain on the country’s resources. No one would be spared in the fight against corruption because, even the close friends of the President know that they will not be spared; he will not cover for them. Fighting corruption is a priority”. 

Osinbajo also revealed that 200,000 unemployed graduates had been selected to be engaged by the federal government under the N-power jobs Programme.

 “We expect that before the end of the month, we will engage 200, 000,” out of the 500,000 unemployed graduates the Buhari administration plans to hire in the N-Power jobs programme.”

Exotic cars discovered by DSS in judge's house

Detectives found a Rolls Royce in the fleet of about 15 cars of one of the seven judges under investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS), yesterday.
construction firm to build his palatial home and imported furniture from Brazil, Argentina and Spain. The judge, said a source close to the investigation, once conducted his “poor colleagues” around his mansion.

Another judge told the DSS that he did not know how N18million was paid into his account and he did not get alert to enable him complain to his bankers.

One of the judges also said the money found in his account was his accumulated medical allowances.
Another judge was found to have submitted three assets declaration forms to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

The asset forms of the seven judges, who were arrested last weekend in a controversial sting operation, were being analysed by the DSS yesterday.

The Federal Government has foreclosed the return of all the seven judges to the bench.
The government believes the judges cannot be in the dock and be adjudicating at the same time.

Those arrested are: Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro – the suspended Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya, who was picked up in Sokoto; Justice Adeniyi Ademola (Federal High Court); the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike; Justice Kabiru Auta of Kano State High Court; and Justice Muazu Pindiga (Gombe State High Court).

Of the seven Justices, Tsamiya, Umezulike and Auta have been recommended for sanctions by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Detectives have uncovered more corrupt practices traced to some of the judges undergoing probe, the source said, pleading not to be named because he is not permitted to talk to the media.

The source said: “Operatives have discovered that one of the judges owns a mansion which was contracted to a construction firm at a huge cost. In fact, the judge imported furniture from Brazil, Argentina and Spain.
“At a stage, he conducted his ‘poor colleagues’ round the mansion in an open display of affluence. The judge has about 15 cars, including a Rolls Royce. This Rolls Royce was imported.
”During interrogation, another judge told DSS team that he did not know how and when N18million was lodged in his account because he was not getting alert from his bank. But we have evidence of withdrawals from the account.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “We have retrieved the assets declaration forms of these judges. It was shocking that one of them has three asset declaration forms with different dates of birth.”

He said instead, the government had asked the NJC to suspend them, pending the conclusion of their trial.
Those who may not be allowed back to the bench are Justice Ngwuta, Justice Okoro, Justice Ademola and Justice Pindiga.
The source said the judges could be retired.

He said however that the judges will still go through trial to enable Nigerians know that “they were actually caught in the act”.

“The position of the government is that none of these judges will be allowed back to the bench in the interest of the nation’s Judiciary. They cannot be arraigned in the dock and at the same time be adjudicating or attending to cases.
“It is left to the NJC to allow the affected judges to keep off the bench until their fate is determined. But certainly, they will face trial and the outcome will determine whether or not they will be retired or dismissed.
“We are expecting the NJC to do the needful by suspending the judges.”

It was gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari and Chief Justice Mahmud Mohammed had actually met on the arrest of seven judges.

A source said: “The CJN sought for audience and met with the President on Saturday on the arrest of the judges. I think they compared notes but no one can give you the details.
“I think the President must have briefed the CJN on the security reports at his disposal.”

EFCC questions University vice-chancellor for alleged corruption

 Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Olusola Oyewole, has been invited for questioning by the anti-graft commission, EFCC.
 
Mr. Oyewole and the institution’s bursar, Moses Ilesanmi, were invited for questioning based on allegations of corruption levelled against them.
 
The duo are to appear at the EFCC’s Zonal Office in Ibadan on August 17  by 10:00 a.m., according to an invitation letter signed by Akaninyewa Ezima.
 
“The office is currently investigating an alleged case of corruption and abuse of office involving your institution,” the EFCC invitation letter obtained by PREMIUM TIMES reads.
 
The university officials were told to come along with certified true copies of documents including those of capital projects executed in their tenure.
 
While Mr. Oyewole, a Professor of Food Science and Technology, was appointed in 2012, Mr. Ilesanmi was appointed in September 2011 and is scheduled to leave office in a month.
 
The EFCC is also investigating payments made by the university to the governing council of the institution led by a former senator, Adeseye Ogunlewe.
 
The invited officials were asked to come with records of all payments made to Mr. Ogunlewe and other members of the governing council since their appointment in 2013.
 
Mr. Ogunlewe, who represented Lagos State in the Senate, was appointed pro-chancellor of the university by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
 
More details later…

How powers of appropriation is used to commit fraud and sabotage- Abdulmumin Jibrin

In a new statement he shared on his Facebook page, sacked chairman of the House of Representatives committee on Appropriation Abdulmumin Jibrin described how the powers of Appropriation during budget screening is used to commit fraud and sabotage. Read below...

Before the corrupt, shameless and fraudulent QUARTET of Speaker Dogara, Lasun, Doguwa and Ogor mislead the Nigerian public again, let me avail you some facts.

Now that I have raised allegations backed with documents to show that the QUARTET and their gang of few other corrupt committee Chairmen are responsible for the fraudulent insertions also known as padding in various versions of the 2016 budget and NOT ME as they claim, corrupt Speaker Dogara shamelessly made a u-turn on a National TV and declared that such insertions do not constitute an offense.

For Dogara and his cohorts, Padding is an offense only if Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin is the accused. Today, they went a disgraceful step further to threaten that the budget is already a law and therefore no offense can be committed in that regard. This is clearly a diversionary plan to mislead the public, avoid the anti-corruption agencies and buy time to cover up their dirty mess.

For instance let's say an item in a budget proposed by the executive under Power for the purchase of a transformer cost N2million and same amount was budgeted. If the Chairman House Committee on power because he has the "powers" to appropriate decides to add N3million naira to jack up the allocation to 5million naira when it is a public knowledge that the transformer cannot cost more than 2million naira, what do you call that?

That essentially means APPROPRIATION FRAUD! And such chairman is a FRAUDSTER, a common criminal.

On the other hand, let's say he decides to irrationally reduce the amount to 500,000 thousand naira knowing fully well that, the said amount cannot buy the transformer, what do you call that? APPROPRIATION SABOTAGE and such a chairman is a SABOTEUR. I have no apology for saying this! Little by little, I will be providing more in-depth details.

I challenge Speaker Dogara and his corrupt cabal to a public debate on their claim that the fraudulent insertions they made in the budget is not an offense that can be prosecuted under the laws of Nigeria. Rather than continue their futile effort to blackmail the entire country or continue their begging mission to the Party, Transparency and Integrity Group, Speaker Dogara and his gang of thieves should submit themselves to the anti-corruption agencies and answer thousands of questions waiting for them.

I am pretty sure not even the two (2) Governors and three (3) former House members backing them can help them evade the anti-corruption agencies. It is pertinent to note that beyond the budget issue, there are tens of other criminal allegations I have raised against Speaker Dogara and the 12 others, non of which they have responded to.

Speaker Dogara, Lasun and Doguwa are already a baggage that the APC should off load! Same for Minority leader, Leo Ogar to the PDP!

Just to bring you up to date, I have forwarded to the anti corruption agencies documents showing how Speaker Dogara and the 3 others allocated the 40billion naira they stole from 100billion for constituency project, how they inserted about 20billion naira of wasteful projects, how they cornered the entire 20% of inputs reserved for the house after the harmonization exercise, attempts to force in about 30billion naira of wasteful projects into the budget, attempt to force me to introduce a strange line item and insert about 20billion naira in the service wide vote using the name of nass, evidence showing that indeed about 10 standing committees of the house made about 2000 insertions in budget worth about 284billion naira and indeed reports of 6 standing committees showing massive movement of money with clear intent to commit fraud.

I have also commenced providing the anti corruption agencies clue on how investigative hearings in the house under Speaker Dogara are used as conduit pipes to carry out massive corruption and how the house services committee chairman and the Speaker runs and spend money meant for the House in absolute secrecy. I will continue to cooperate with the anti-corruption agencies and guide them on how to crack the code of curruption that has assumed a monumental proportion under the very corrupt Speaker Dogara.

It is sad that some civil society are now providing platforms for the disgraced Speaker and his group of corrupt 12 to embark on an expensive image laundry where millions of stolen money will be invested.

It is however not surprising why some people call Nigeria a banana republic otherwise how can you explain the temerity of Speaker Dogara who has maintained silence in the face of such criminal allegations against him, yet has the courage, driving around in siren blaring convoy, step up on podiums, addressed as Speaker and talk, even talk about budget, budget!!!

I cry for Nigeria...so long as we continue to respect corrupt people so shall our country continue to relapse...
God bless
Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin PhD MBA
APC-Kano
Kiru-Bebeji Federal Constituency
Kano