EFCC Sweats Over Dokpesi's Riddle

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been busy trying to solve a riddle handed them by the founding Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi.

Dokpesi had told EFCC during interrogations that he was “embedded in various organizations.”

An EFCC source who confirmed this said that the agency is now trying to unravel the circumstances surrounding organizations' involvement with the N2.1b arms money collected by the media chief.

“In making up his defence, Dokpesi told interrogators that he was embedded in some media organisations.

“We don’t know what he meant and we have written the affected media to explain if they were given any share of the N2.1billion for publicity,” said the source.

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Retired Airforce Chief Quizzed Over N600m Arms Deal

A former Chairman of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Marine Safety, Air Vice Marshal Salihu Atawodi (retd.), was on Thursday quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over an alleged N600m arms scam.

An EFCC source said that the agency invited Atawodi to answer questions on allegations of conspiracy, abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds.

Atawodi allegedly awarded a contract of N600m to one Alhaji Rabiu’s Hypertech Nigeria Limited for the procurement of military boats, which were paid for but not supplied.

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MTN Nigeria's Fine Reduced To $3.4b As CEO Quits

The MTN Group on Thursday announced the receipt of a  letter from the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC confirming the reduction of the N1.04tn ($5.2bn) fine imposed on its Nigerian subsidiary to N674bn ($3.4bn).

The letter, dated 2 December 2015, was in response to MTN’s earlier request for a reduction in the fine which was imposed by the NCC for the telecommunications company's failure to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards. The reduced fine must be paid by 31 December 2015.

As a fallout of the huge fine, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Michael Ikpoki, and its Head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, have lost their positions.

The MTN Group has already appointed the Chief Operating Officer of MTN Irancell, Ferdi Moolman, and Amina Oyagbola,  to take over Ikpoki and Goodluck's respective positions.

The Executive Chairman, MTN Group, Phuthuma Nhleko, said in a statement that the move “will enable MTN to continue to realise its strategy and vision, while also ensuring that we achieve high governance standards and robust risk mitigation."

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Trainee child suicide bomber arrested in IDP camp

The youngest of the 100 Boko Haram terrorists on the wanted list of the Nigerian Army, 11 years old Master Usman Modu Tella, was yesterday arrested by soldiers in an Internally Displaced Persons(IDP) in Maiduguri, Borno State.

According to Army authorities, the young boy said he was in the camp to carry out suicide  attack at a future date, and has been trained alongside three other children by Boko Haram bomb experts.

He disclosed that his three course mates have already been killed in suicide missions.

According to Army spokesman, Col Sani Usman, Master Usman Modu Tella is suspect number 82 in the 100-man list of wanted terrorists. He was familiarizing himself with the IDP camp ahead of instruction to embark on his own suicide mission.

The Army spokesman said in a statement he issued to newsmen that;
“Vigilant troops of 7 Division Garrison providing security at IDP Camp, Dalori in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Borno State yesterday afternoon apprehended an 11- year -old boy, Master Usman Modu Tella a potential suicide bomber.

“He is suspect number 82 on the poster containing the photographs of 100 wanted suspected Boko Haram terrorists released by the Nigerian Army. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is from Bama town and is among four other children trained for suicide bombing by the Boko Haram terrorists. He further added that the three others have already carried out their missions at different locations. His job was to do same in the camp sometime in the future. The boy also pointed out one other Boko Haram senior member, Alhaji Kerewu Abubakar at the camp."

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Impunity growing under Buhari - PDP

PDP condemns Dokpesi’s arrest...says APC Govt on opposition, media clamp-down http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2015/12/pdp-condemns-dokpesis-arrestsays-apc.html

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Dasuki denies implicating PDP bigwigs in N2b arms deals.

Former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki has described media reports that he implicated some PDP stalwarts for collecting massive amounts of money from security funds while he was in office as false.

Speaking through his lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji, the erstwhile NSA said he never squealed on anyone to the EFCC and was therefore at a loss as to ‎where the authors got their information from.

“I was with Dasuki yesterday and wish to make a categorical statement that my client never made any statement of such nature or naming anybody or group in any statement.

“Quote me anywhere, Dasuki has not done anything like that. It is absolutely untrue. It is the figment of the imagination of the authors aimed at creating falsehood for reasons best known to them and Nigerians should disregard them.

“They are just out to scandalise the man, bring his image and character into disrepute so that his friends and well wishers can run away from him. They want him deserted and that will fail,” Raji said.

Dasuki is facing charges bordering on money laundering over the sum of N2b meant for arms procurement.

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Media mogul Dokpesi detained after meeting bail conditions

The retired Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi's hope of regaining his freedom after meeting his bail conditions was on Wednesday dashed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Dokpesi had been asked by the anti graft agency to surrender his travel documents and provide two directors in the Federal Civil Service as sureties for his bail.

However, having met his bail conditions on Wednesday, Dokpesi and his lawyer, Mr Mike Ozekhome were shocked to be told that the EFCC had secured a holding order from a magistrate court to keep him in detention.

“We got the two sureties today and we were ready to meet all the bail conditions before the EFCC told us they were able to get a holding charge warrant from a magistrate,” said Ozekhome.

He added that no formal charges have so far been preferred against his client.

“We are yet to know the charges levelled against Chief Dokpesi and he himself has told me that no charges were preferred against him,” he said.

Dokpesi was arrested by EFCC on Tuesday in connection with over N2b arms procurement fund allegedly traced to him from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki.  Both men are being questioned by the anti graft agency over the reasons for the payment. 

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