Arms Deal : Three Suspects On The Run

It has been learnt that three suspects in the multi-billion naira arms deals currently under investigation have sneaked out of the country to escape arrest. 

The suspects include a high profile Nigerian and two Israelis.

According to a reliable source, Government's seeming hard stance on Dasuki may be a direct consequence of the escape of the three suspects who are alleged to be his close allies.

“The government may appear to have been hard on Dasuki because three suspects implicated in the arms deal have sneaked out of the country. The suspects, including a top Nigerian and two Israelis, were rated as closer to Dasuki.

“Wherever they are, we will repatriate them accordingly. With the cooperation of some countries, there is no hiding place for any suspect.

“This is one of the reasons why the Federal Government does not want Dasuki to travel out for medical treatment.

“The Department of State Security Service (DSS) was proactive in placing one of the suspects on surveillance but the recourse to court made the affected culprit to leave the country.

“Another factor is that the cases against the ex-NSA are many and the government cannot say because of an isolated matter, he should be allowed to go abroad. What if he does not return to the country?” he said.

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Buhari To Attend Gas Exporters Meeting In Iran

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja on Sunday for the Iranian capital, Tehran to participate in the 3rd Gas Exporting Countries’ Forum (GECF) opening on Monday.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina in Abuja on Friday, President Buhari and other GECF leaders will be reviewing the current market outlook on gas and discuss strategies for boosting gas production.

GECF members currently account for 42 per cent of global gas production‎, 70 per cent of global gas reserves, 40 per cent of pipeline transmission of gas and 65 per cent of the global trade in Liquefied Natural Gas.

The statement  said that Buhari will also hold bilateral talks with other participating world leaders on the sidelines of the summit after which he will meet with Nigerians resident in Iran.

Scheduled to accompany the President on the trip are Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama; Power, Works & Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Ibe Kachikwu and the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.).

The team is expected to return to Abuja on Nov.24.

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Kano Blast Victims Get N40m From FG

The Presidential Victims Support Fund has donated N40 million to victims of Wednesday's bomb attacks in Kano.

The money was on Friday given to victims of the blast currently receiving treatment at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital  and Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital Kano.

Announcing the donation to the hospitals, the Executive Director of the Fund, Prof. Sunday Ochoche said his team was in Kano to sympathize with the victims of the terrorist attacks.

“The Fund gave N20 million to each of the two hospitals we visited, making it a total of N40 million.

“We are here to assist the victims and bring succor to the injured people,” he said.

Ochoche said that the Fund would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the hospitals involved on how the donation which is intended for the treatment of injured persons would be used.

He added that before coming to Kano, the Fund had visited 14 hospitals in the Northeast.

“The MoU will clearly state how the intervention should be distributed among the victims for their immediate medical needs and attention.

“We have so far given out N240 million for the affected victims, including the N40m million given to the Kano hospitals,” he said.

Two young female suicide bombers had on Wednesday detonated their explosive devices at the popular GSM market in Kano, killing 15 persons and leaving over 50 others injured.

According to security sources, a manhunt is on for the other occupants of the minivan which dropped off the suicide bombers at the area.

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How a lunatic caused panic at Kano mosque

There was pandemonium in Kano on Friday at the at the Ahalul Sunna mosque, opposite Rijiyar Zaki mosque, near Bayero University when a lunatic edged his way towards the Imam as he delivered his sermon at the Jumaat service. 

As the lunatic forced his way through, panicked worshippers began to scamper to safety, causing a stampede in the process.

An eyewitness who sustained injuries in the stampede said ;
“I sustained injuries on my legs and shoulders because I jumped over the wall of the mosque for my life.

“The suspect, who looked like a mad man attempted to be close to the Imam but was stopped by the mosque security.”

However, the timely intervention of security operatives attached to the mosque prevented the situation from degenerating.

The suspected lunatic was taken away by the police for investigation.

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EFCC Invites Dasuki For Questioning

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday invited former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki for questioning.

The former NSA is expected to answer questions on arms contracts during his period of stewardship.

The invitation suggests that the EFCC may have taken over the arms procurement probe and the likely prosecution of Dasuki and others indicted by the panel which investigated the contracts.

Among those indicted by the panel are former defence chiefs and service chiefs. Thirty arms dealers were also summoned by the panel.

The EFCC in a letter signed by its Director of Operations, Mr. Olaolu Adegbite, invited Dasuki for questioning over alleged diversion of funds, a source said.

“A letter was delivered on Thursday to Dasuki by the EFCC requesting him to report for an interaction on Friday.

“This is an indication that the Presidency has forwarded the Interim Report of the Special Investigative Committee on Arms Procurement to the anti-graft commission.

“I think the development also indicated that Dasuki and those implicated in the arms deals might be prosecuted by the EFCC.

“Now all the parties have the opportunity to present facts, figures and relevant documents before the court for the public to know the true position of things,”
said the source.

Dasuki's residences has been under seige by the DSS since November 3 when he obtained permission from the court to travel overseas for medical reasons.

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Peugeot Visits Buhari, Assures Of Full Return

Peugeot Automobiles has announced its intention to return to Nigeria next year for full commercial operations.

Peugeot’s Executive Vice President for Africa and the Middle-East, Mr. Jean-Christophe Quemard said this in Abuja on Thursday during a courtesy visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.

Buhari assured the company of the commitment of his administration to the privatization and commercialization policy.

He however said that special consideration would be given to companies with the requisite technical and managerial competence in the privatization of government-owned companies.

”Higher premium will be placed on the technical competence and financial clout of bidders in future privatisation exercises to avoid the running aground of privatised companies by ill-equipped and incapable investors," he said.

He added that “privatization can only succeed and yield desired benefits if buyers of government-owned companies possess essential skills and resources.”

Assuring the President that Peugeot was ready to reinvest in vehicle assembly in Nigeria, Mr Quemard said that the company had outlined a three-phased plan to resume vehicle assembly first with 4,000 cars, rising up to 10,000 cars by 2021.

He however called for the appropriate policies from the government.

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FG To Audit Pending Corruption Cases - AGF

President Muhammadu Buhari has authorized a thorough audit of all pending high profile corruption cases.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice , Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday while briefing newsmen.

He said that the audit will try to expose the reasons for the failure of past administrations to effectively prosecute corruption cases  involving "some politically exposed persons."

He added that cases found to have been compromised in the past would be revisited.

“Similarly, those who compromised investigations of such cases will be duly prosecuted. Under this administration, there will be no respite for the corrupt,” he said.

Most of the pending cases against some former governors in court over their alleged complicity in money laundering and wanton looting of public treasury have not made any meaningful headway several years after they were initiated.

To correct this anomaly, the AGF vowed to re-invigorate all the anti-corruption agencies in the country.

“The battle against corruption is one which the administration of President Buhari has identified as crucial to the ultimate capacity of the Nigerian state to rise to its full potentials.

“The linkage between corruption and under-development has long been established and explains why Mr. President, in his inaugural address on May 29, 2015, identified corruption as the worst form of human rights violation as it denies the people the resources they need to develop and thrive.

“The Federal Ministry of Justice will, therefore, be positioned under my watch to play this role in a credible and committed manner.

“The task of re-invigorating the ministry and the other anti-corruption agencies such as the EFCC, the ICPC and the Nigeria Police Force, is one to which I hereby pledge my personal commitment and energy, in order to position them to fight it within the bounds of law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will and in line with international best practices.

“Fighting corruption, of course, is not only a question of having laws and institutions in place, but also involves the need to deepen institutional credibility and individual integrity.

“The staff of the ministry and the other agencies, who will be involved in this fight, must therefore, realise that new and improved standards will be required of them and this government will not accept excuses for failure in the investigation and prosecution of cases.

“On its part, government will continue to improve the levels of provisions of the resources and welfare requirements of the officers who will be involved in this campaign. We all must continue to be motivated by the fact that corruption is a monster which can consume us all if we do not collectively tackle it through individual efforts and collective approaches," he said.

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