EFCC Arrests Own Operative For Extortion, Name Dropping

An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been arrested by the anti graft agency.

The operative, Abdulrahman  Mohammed Biu,  a Deputy Detective Superintendent was arrested for collecting $150,000 (N45 million) from some military officers under investigation in the infamous arms procurement scam, ostensibly to secure soft landing for them.

According to a statement issued by Wilson Uwujaren, Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, documents connected with the current investigations into the arms procurement scandal were recovered from the suspect.

“An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrahman Mohammed Biu, Deputy Detective Superintendent (DDS), has been arrested for offences bordering on extortion, influence peddling and impersonation.

“The officer was arrested on Monday following intelligence report alleging that he extorted a whopping sum of $150,000 from some military officers on the pretext that he would help give them a soft landing in the ongoing investigation into the arms deal scandal.

“Upon his arrest, a search was executed on his residence in Abuja where the following items were recovered: $20,000 cash, N500,000 cash, two police uniforms bearing his name with the ranks of Deputy Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent; Police warrant card No: 27/2014 with the rank of DSP allegedly obtained from Kano Constabulary office; documents relating to military arms investigation and account information of several senior military officers.

“A search of his car parked in the premises yielded the following items: unbranded pistol with a magazine and ten live ammunitions.

“His modus operandi includes dropping the names of ranking officers of the commission, claiming he was acting on their behalf.

“A paper containing seven of such names was recovered in his house.

“The suspect has made useful statement while investigation continues,” the statement said.

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Dasukigate: How Ex-Minister Obanikoro's sons received N4.7b from ONSA in phony deals.

Babajide and Gbolahan, sons of former Minister of Defense in the Goodluck Jonathan administration, Mr Musiliu Obanikoro should by now be preparing to explain to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC all they know about the N4.7b transferred into the account of a company in which they are directors from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA
It is strongly suspected that the money was used to prosecute the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Furthermore, Obanikoro who was the linchpin for the PDP in the coordination of the election in the two states was fingered in the abuse of deployment of soldiers in those areas during the elections.

According to a source close to the investigation, the N4.7b was paid in several tranches.

"Two sons of former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, Babajide and Gbolahan, are currently on the radar of the EFCC. About N4,745,000,000.00 was traced to a company, Sylvan McNamara Limited, in which they have interest.

“The money was allegedly paid in several tranches into the company’s account number: 0026223714 with Diamond Bank from the Office of the National Security Adviser account with the CBN,” he said.

Another source disclosed that “all the transfers were done between June and December 2014, a period that coincided with the preparation for and conduct of the Ekiti state gubernatorial election which ushered in the current administration of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

“For instance, N200 million was transferred into Sylvan Mc Namara’s account on June 5, 2015, while N2 billion was also wired into the account from the CBN/Imprest Main account on June 16, 2016.

“Another transfer of N700 million hit the account on July 7, 2014, while N1 billion was credited to the account on July 30, 2014.

“Other transfers included N160 million on August 8, 2014; N225 million on August 22, 2014; N200 million on November 14, 2014 and N200 million on December 5, 2014.

“Both Gbolahan and Babajide Obanikoro, directors of the company, were also signatories to its account until 2014 when one Olalekan Ogunseye was made sole signatory to the account.

“The payments to the company from the office of the National Security Adviser were made without any contract.”

THE NATION reports an EFCC source as saying that:
“Some of the funds traced to Obanikoro's sons' account were meant for procurement of arms.

“We are making necessary contact with the son of the ex-minister for appropriate interaction with our operatives.

“We hope he will get in touch as required or else we may invoke necessary legal procedures to make him to account for these curious payments.”

Source: The Nation

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After the music, play the football

Photos: Peter Okoye and Samuel Eto'o on the streets of London http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/01/photos-peter-okoye-and-samuel-etoo-on.html

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Kogi Election: Tribunal Relocates To Abuja

The tribunal set up to hear complaints from parties to the recently concluded governorship election in Kogi State has been moved to Abuja.

The relocation was on the orders of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachua.

The three man tribunal comprising Justice Halima Mohammed (Chairperson), Justice Patricia Ajoku and Justice Ogbogo Ejembi, commenced had been sitting in Lokoja before the relocation order which was announced by its Secretary, Mr. Akanji Akinlabi. 

The African Democratic Congress, All Progressives Grand Alliance,  Labour Party, Progressive Peoples’ Alliance, Peoples Democratic Party and Deputy Director elect, James Faleke are challenging the declaration of All Progressives Congress' Yahaya Bello as the winner of the election.

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Buhari calls for more intra Africa trade

President Muhammadu Buhari has called for the acceleration of economic integration of African countries and the intensification of intra-African trade.

Buhari made the call on Thursday in Kenya at a dinner organized to mark the end of his state visit to that country.

According to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, Buhari said that the expansion of trade in the past few years between Nigeria and Kenya should be replicated among other African countries to enhance economic development on the continent.

“We now have Nigerian industrialists establishing cement plants in Kenya, while Nigerian telecommunications operators are learning and adopting the Kenyan mobile banking model as a tool for financial inclusion in rural Nigeria.

“We have Nigerian farmers coming to learn from successful Kenyan farms while at the same time, we have many up and coming Kenyan oil and gas businesses partnering with Nigerian oil companies.

“We have Nigerians drinking Kenyan coffee in their homes and offices, while we have many Kenyans listening to Nigerian music and watching Nollywood movies.

“These developments point to a real integration on the continent beyond formal diplomatic relationships. Greater intra-Africa trade will ultimately result in the creation of millions of jobs within Africa for Africans,” he said.

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Villagers lynch, set armed robbers ablaze in Kogi State.

Three armed robbers on Friday met their Waterloo at Orunu junction in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State in the hands of the youth of the community.

A gang of five armed robbers was said to have in recent times been terrorizing commuters along the motorway passing through the community.

An eyewitness to the lynching said that the robbers had as usual mounted their nefarious operation, oblivious that the youth of the area had decided to end their menace.

“The villagers came out in their numbers and in the process seized their guns before crushing three of them to death with heavy stones, clubs and other dangerous weapons. Two of the armed robbers escaped into the bush while three were burnt to ashes after they were given the beating of their lives," he said

The incident was confirmed by the The Kogi State Police Public Relation Officer, PRO, Williams Aya who explained that the mob had dispersed by the time his men got to the scene, leaving three charred human remains.

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Adamawa grains market blasts claim 15

No fewer than 15 persons were killed this Friday when twin bomb blasts rocked the popular Gombi grains market in Adamawa State.

The blasts reportedly happened in the afternoon when activities at the market were in full swing.

An eyewitness said that two male suicide bombers carried out the attack.

He disclosed that a third suicide bomber was apprehended by the youth of the community before he could detonate his device. The suspect then disclosed that two other suicide bombers had escaped into the community. 

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