Dasukigate: Why the EFCC will not arrest Jonathan

ABUJA
Following startling revelations on how former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki shared the $2.1b arms procurement fund to PDP stalwarts and some well-placed Nigerians, speculations have been rife that former President Goodluck Jonathan could have some questions to answer.

However, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu has given reasons why the former President has not been arrested.

Magu told online news publishers on Monday that so far, no document has been traced to Jonathan approving money for any reason other than arms procurement.

He added that those being questioned are people who collected the arms money for reasons other than procurement of arms and ammunitions.

“All approvals by former president Jonathan did not mention that it was for political purposes. All the memos approved by him were for the purchase of arms,” he said.

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Investors urged to clear N90b unclaimed dividends

The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC said in Abuja on Monday that N90b dividends remained unclaimed as at September 30, 2015.

This was disclosed by the Head, Marketing Development, SEC, Mr Henry Adekunle during a sensitization road show on e-dividend.

Adekunle said the Commission embarked on the three-day sensitisation walk to encourage investors to provide necessary information to enable them to claim their dividends electronically

“All we are saying here is that our investors should go and register to collect your dividend electronically in their preferred bank.

“All that we expect from an investor is to go to the bank and fill a form, which will contain certain information.

“You will be required to give certain information like your passport, account number whether savings or current and then your BVN.

“Your Central Securities Clearing System number will be required if you are already dematerialized
“But if you are not, you will go with your share certificate number after which you will be validated using the Nigeria Inter – Bank Settlement System portal where the e – dividend form is actually located,’’ he said.

He added that on completion of registration, the forms would be sent to the registrars for consolidation of the investors' dividends and commencement of payment.

He also said that “the objective of this initiative is to make sure that the N90 billion unclaimed dividend is depleted within the next six months after the completion of this exercise.

“The exercise will be free for about three months and close in March. Six months from that date, we expect that these N90 billion would have fully depleted.’’

Adekunle also said that upon full implementation, the exercise
would support the Direct Cash Settlement regime, increase market velocity and attract foreign investors.

The Head, Corporate Communications, SEC, Mr Naif Abdussalam, disclosed that the exercise was part of the commission’s implementation strategy for the 10-year capital market master plan.

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EFCC Arrests NBC Director General

The Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC was this Monday arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in Abuja.

Mba was whisked away in the morning and taken to the Abuja headquarters of the EFCC where he is presently answering questions bordering on corruption.

Sources familiar with the NBC said that the Commission has been under EFCC searchlights in the last one month.

Abujacitynews learnt that last week the EFCC arrested some key accounts staff of the NBC after ransacking computers and files in the finance and accounts department.

It is believed that the arrested staff implicated the NBC boss and some top officials of the Commission.

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APC gubernatorial aspirant kidnapped in Abuja

Barely two days after he declared his intention to vie for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC for the 2016 governorship elections, former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon Victor Olabintan has been kidnapped in Abuja.

According to the Secretary, Olabintan Campaign Organisation, Mr Gboyega Ajayi, the politician was traveling to Abuja from Ondo State before he met his abductors at Kwali on the outskirts of Abuja.

The APC chieftain was flagged down at a checkpoint by men posing as soldiers and was subsequently kidnapped.

Ajayi said that the police have started investigation into the matter.

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Odili, Falae, Ladoja, others must refund cash or face trial - EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has declared that every politician who benefited from the diversion of the $2.1b arms procurement fund must refund what he got or face prosecution.

According to EFCC sources, the Commission decided to insist on refund of cash after going through some of the memos which the former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki wrote to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan requesting for funds.

Based on the disbursement of the arms money to some highly placed Nigerians, especially PDP bigwigs as revealed by the memos, the EFCC arrived at the option of "refund the money or face prosecution."

Some of those who benefited from the sharing of the arms funds have so far been identified as:

Peter Odili (N100m);
Rashidi Ladoja (N100m), Attahiru Bafarawa (N100m), Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi (N100m), 
Jim Nwobodo (N500m).
Chief Tony Anenih(N260m);
ex-PDP National Chairman Ahmadu Ali (N100m);
Chief Bode George (N100m/ $30,000),
Yerima Abdullahi (N100m); Chief Olu Falae (N100m);
Tanko Yakassai (N63m);
Gen. Bello Sarkin Yaki(N200m); Raymond Dokpesi (N2.1b), Iyorchia Ayu’s company(N345m);
BAM Properties(N300m); Dalhatu Investment Limited(N1.5b);
Ex-PDP National Chairman Mohammed Bello Haliru, Abba Mohammed, Sagir Attahiru, serving and former members of the House of Representatives(over N600 million);
Former Chairman of the House of Representatives on Security and Intelligence, Bello Matawalle (N300m);
ACACIA Holdings (N600m); Bashir Yuguda (N1,950,000,000)

The EFCC insists it has done a thorough job in identifying who got what in the arms fund bazaar. A knowledgeable source at the Commission said;
“We have conducted a thorough investigation and we have retrieved some of the memos sent to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan by the former National Security Adviser; none of them indicated that the cash should be for political purposes.

“There was never a memo for cash advance for political matters like campaign or election.

“We have also traced some of these funds directly to the accounts of these bigwigs or their proxy companies.

“Having gone far, we are asking them to return these funds or else, we will go after them any moment from now. I think they should respect themselves and make urgent refund.

“In the alternative, we will arrest them and arraign them in court to defend such strange allocations.

“We will retrieve every kobo given out from ONSA. It is insufficient to say somebody gave me this money. Once we trace undeserved public funds into your account or phony and proxy companies, we will ask for refund.

“Contrary to the noise outside, we did our homework very well. Anybody we bring to the EFCC this time around, we used to make sure that we have established a case against him.

“So, we don’t invite or arrest on frivolous basis."

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Why EFCC released Buhari's associate, Jafaru Isa

Abujacitynews has learnt that former Military Administrator of
Kaduna State and close friend of President Muhammadu Buhari, Gen Jafaru Isa retd who was recently released by the EFCC regained his freedom after refunding 60 per cent of the money he received from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA.

Isa, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday last week at his home in Asokoro District, Abuja.
A source close to the anti-graft agency said that Gen Isa "admitted collecting money from ONSA and he has refunded 60 per cent of the sum credited to him. I think it should be about N100 million.

“Isa is the only person who has so far refunded money among the political figures who collected funds from ONSA. We have granted him bail to allow him time to source for the balance,” he said.

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We are not cowards, 24 dismissed soldiers beg Buratai.

ABUJA
On 13 December 2015, 24 soldiers from the 118 Task Force Battalion in Borno State were dismissed from the Nigerian Army by their Commanding Officer for desertion.

The soldiers comprising seven corporals, ten lance corporals and seven privates have now petitioned the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai against their unlawful dismissal which they said was done without a boardroom trial.

In the petition dated January 6, 2016 which was addressed to the Chief of Army Staff and copied to the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, and the Minister of Defence, Big-Gen Dan Ali, retd., counsel to the dismissed soldiers, Mr Johnson Oyewole said that their travails started when their battalion was sacked by Boko Haram fighters while they were on a mission to Damasak in Borno State in December last year.

Following the attack in which they lost some men, the troops retreated to Gubio local government area in Borno State according to Oyewole

Soon after, the Commanding Officer sent a civilian truck to move the troops to Baga Cross, but they resisted the order because the truck lacked the capacity to safely take them to the designated location.

Oyewole said that the Commanding Officer subsequently sent a military truck that took the troops to Baga Cross only to summarily try and dismiss them for desertion and being absent from duty for six days.

The dismissed soldiers as listed in the petition are :
Corporals Endurance Ekparba, Onyile Jeremiah, Johnny Donnish, Francis Obi, Uche Eke, Bitrus Ntasiri and Chima Rapheal;
Lance corporals Timothy Adeleye, Felix Musa, Nande Samson, Segi Inemotimi, Bashir Lawal, Morgak Sagak, Inubile Yunusa, Nafiu Ahmed, Balogun Sunday, Madu Oniuenyin and Privates Shaba Muhammad, Joshua Yohanna, Obasi Enyinanya, Osam Loveday, Okon Solomon, Albar Amishe and Sani Yusuf.

Barr Oyewole urged the Chief of Army Staff to look into the wrongful dismissal of his clients. He maintained that the soldiers are not cowards or deserters but are eager to continue the fight against the terrorists.

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