NewStats: 3,260,860 , 8,172,834 topics. Date: Tuesday, 27 May 2025 at 09:32 PM 4d5x1x

The Face Of Corruption

A lawyer representing Olisa Metuh, the spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has written to the Chief Judge of Federal High Court demanding the replacement of Okon Abang as the trial judge in the corruption case against Mr. Metuh.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission accuses Mr. Metuh of illicitly receiving N400 million meant for the purchase of arms for the fight against Boko Haram.
The letter by Etiaba Etiaba, made public Thursday by the judge as the case resumed, introduced a new twist in the trial.
Justice Abang asked prosecution and defence lawyers whether they were aware of the letter sent to the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, Ibrahim Auta.
“Are you aware that after eight witnesses were called by the prosecution, and the court gave its ruling on an application of no case submission by the defence, that Mr. Emeka Etiaba wrote the registrar to the Chief Justice of the Court, asking that this case be transferred to another judge?” he asked.
According to the judge, the reason alluded by Mr. Etiaba for the request of transfer of the case was that the judge had given certain interlocutory judgements in favour of the prosecution, and that he (Mr. Abang) was Mr. Metuh’s former classmate.
The letter also alleged that the court had refused to give the defence recordings of the previous ruling.

“I am not aware that the first defendant was my classmate, he said he is my classmate,” said Justice Abang on Thursday.
The prosecution said he was not aware of the letter, and one of Mr. Metuh’s counsel, Ifedayo Adedipe, said “any letter written by a member of the defence is a letter by the defence team”.
Pressed by the judge for a definite answer, Mr. Adedipe said he had learnt in his long career as a lawyer to thread carefully.
Justice Abang denied he had been biased against the defence, saying the court had approved three adjournments at the request of the defence.
He also denied the claim that Mr. Metuh was denied copies of the court’s ruling.
“The secretary will type and the court will proofread about four times,” said Justice Abang, explaining why the copies of the ruling was not ready before Thursday for both parties.
Mr. Abang said despite the “unprofessional” conduct of the Mr. Etiaba, he would abide by the directives from the National Judicial Council which directs judges in such circumstances to continue to handle the case till the Chief Judge decides on the application for an objection.
He therefore adjourned the case till March 23, 2016.

http://www.timesng.com/news/headlines/200286-dasukigate-metuh-wants-ex-classmate-judge-replaced-judge-denies-relationship.html

Does Senate President Bukola Saraki believe he is innocent of the charges of false and anticipatory assets declaration filed against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal? If so, why has he chosen a most curious, if not downright dubious, the manner of proving it? It is now half a year since he took his plea of “not guilty,” though not before a bench warrant for his arrest was issued to compel him to attend court.

Yes, he agreed to declare his innocence only on pain of imprisonment. But that was only the beginning of the intriguing steps Saraki has taken since then to clear his name. Rather than be impatient for the commencement of trial so he could be vindicated in the shortest possible time, Saraki elected to corral every willing and able senior advocate of Nigeria — sixty-six of them at last count — to erect the most formidable obstruction to justice money can buy.

As far as judicial obstructions go, any one founded on jurisdiction is a veritable mountain, especially when pursued all the way to the Supreme Court and back. The Code of Conduct Tribunal, Saraki’s army of senior advocates averred, lacked jurisdiction to try him because it was constituted by two (the chairman and one other), instead of three (chairman and two others) as required by the enabling Act. Furthermore, that the charges were not endorsed, having been filed when there was no sitting Attorney-General. Lastly, that Saraki’s arraignment is just a judicial cover for political persecution. The law gives the persecuted or maliciously prosecuted a remedy in tort, but not even that assurance would induce Saraki and his army of SANs to accept the all-important goal of establishing innocence through a prompt and speedy trial. So off to the Court of Appeal they went when the tribunal rightly asserted its jurisdiction. And when the Court of Appeal upheld the tribunal, off to the Supreme Court they went. On 5 February 2016, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed Saraki’s appeal.

With forum competence determined, you thought, Saraki and his army of SANs would finally welcome the commencement of trial. After all, they had gone to the end of the judicial world in Nigeria because they would prove innocence only before a properly constituted court, you were willing to concede. Alas, the jurisdiction battle will be waged all over again! And so on the fixed day of trial, Saraki’s reconstituted army of SANs, this time, led by former Attorney-General Kanu Agabi, ambushed the prosecution with a fresh Motion on Notice asking the tribunal, once again, to decline its validly asserted jurisdiction now affirmed by the Supreme Court! The motion was knowingly served on the justice ministry when the whole world is aware that the said ministry is represented by counsel on record in the case. The aim, of course, was to stall by any means necessary, fair or foul but mostly foul, the commencement of trial. And not for just one day. If the tribunal falls for the trap of disregarding the clear intent of the istration of Criminal Justice Act to hear this frivolous motion and re-asserts its jurisdiction, then Saraki and his army of SANs will proceed post-haste to the Court of Appeal. And thence to the Supreme Court. And then back to the tribunal where another reconstituted army of SANs would file yet another Motion on Notice in flagrant abuse of court process to prolong the circus of proving innocence by preventing the very opportunity of doing so!

I do not possess the unfathomable brilliance of Saraki and his army of SANs, so in my column of 23 September 205 entitled “Were I Senate President Bukola Saraki, I would Resign Today!” I foolishly urged him to do otherwise. I said, “if I were Saraki, knowing that my reputation and moral authority have been grossly tainted, I would jump at the opportunity to restore my name. I would go to any court or tribunal, any forum, properly constituted, to prove my innocence. I would spurn my lawyers’ well-laid obstruction strategy sure to delay my day of vindication. After all, their best outcome can only be legal victory in the stifled courtroom but assured conviction in the open court of public opinion. I would say to my lawyers, ‘And while you file motions upon motions and cripple the court, how shall I regain the respect and trust of my peers and my party for the serious business of nation-building? What will the people think of me while you grin in self-satisfaction over your cleverness?’”

Obviously, my presumption of integrity and a desire for exoneration on the part of Saraki, even if only made rhetorically, was simply too generous. It is beyond doubt now that Saraki has absolutely no desire to have the state justify him simply by letting the allegedly false charges collapse in court. He would much rather destroy the integrity of parliament and government by hiding the legislative gavel in the folds of his agbadas and taking it with him in and out of the dock, in and out of every court in the land, than resign as senate president. It is time the judiciary, if it is to salvage any of its battered image, put an end to this ridiculous but well-laid strategy of evading trial.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/03/16/saraki’s-endless-saga-proving-his-innocence-evading-trial-ogaga-ifowodo

More crises have hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State as a meeting summoned by the party’s elders to save the party from collapse was allegedly disrupted by agents of Governor Ayo Fayose on Friday.

The meeting, which was hosted by the Chairman of Ekiti PDP Elders’ Committee, Senator Clement Awoyelu, at his residence in Ekute area of Ado Ekiti ,was held to stem the gale of defections of aggrieved party complaining about the leadership style of Fayose.

As the meeting was in full swing, Special Adviser to Fayose on Political Matters, Ademola Bello, who allegedly stormed the venue with people suspected to be political thugs, queried Awoyelu’s authority to hold the meeting without the governor’s clearance.

Bello reportedly told the bemused party elders that Fayose remains the leader of the party in the state and no meeting should be held without obtaining clearance from him.

[b]Awoyelu, a respected leader of the party, was the pioneer state PDP chairman, a former National Working Committee member, a member of the 5th Senate (2003-2007), during which he served as Deputy Chief Whip, a Board of Trustees member and Chairman of the party’s state Elders’ Forum in which capacity he held the meeting.

Party elders already seated at the time Fayose’s henchmen invaded Awoyelu’s home included former Deputy Governor, Chief Paul Alabi; former Acting Governor/Speaker of the House of Assembly, Olatunji Odeyemi; former spokesman of Ekiti Council of Elders, Chief Idowu Odeyemi, former Chairman, Emure Local Government, Mrs. Titi Oguntuase and Dr. Jimi Oke.

The meeting was also attended by 12 serving local government chairmen, of the state PDP caretaker committee, 14 chairmen of local government chapters of the party, among others.

All council chairmen and party state caretaker executive fled the meeting venue for fear of being attacked by the suspected thugs.

A source told our reporter on Saturday that Awoyelu felt embarrassed by Bello’s effrontery to disrupt elders’ meeting allegedly acting on Fayose’s authority.

The source quoted Awoyelu as saying: “I am the pioneer PDP state Chairman, former NWC member, former Senator and former Senate Deputy Chief Whip, which qualifies me to be in the national caucus and an eight-year BOT member.[/b]

“The meeting was summoned in my capacity as the Elders’ Committee Chairman and also Chairman of Elders’ Forum.”

But Bello reportedly fired back: “Henceforth, no meeting should hold in Ekiti without the clearance from Mr. Governor. Which meeting are you holding here? Council chairmen who came here would be sanctioned and (party) caretaker committee present will be sanctioned as well.”

Meanwhile, PDP has lost more to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state at a rally held in Igede Ekiti, the council headquarters.

The leaders of the defectors, Chief Femi Akomolafe, Ayo Famutimi and Ojo Ilesanmi, while speaking with newsmen decried the draconian leadership of Fayose and his failure to fulfil some of the pledges he made during his electioneering campaign.

The defectors further stressed that they defected from PDP to APC because the APC and the istration of President Muhammadu Buhari have been delivering better dividends of democracy to Nigerians through its anti-corruption campaign.
http://thenationonlineng.net/drama-fayose-stops-ekiti-pdp-elders-meeting/

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BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORKMAR 12, 2016
An investigation by SaharaReporters has exposed the officials of Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice who collaborated with lawyers representing Senate President Bukola Saraki to obtain a controversial adjournment by filing a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to try the senator.

At a session of CCT yesterday, Mr. Saraki’s lead lawyer, Kanu Agabi, obtained a weeklong adjournment by claiming that he had filed a motion on March 4, 2016, contesting the tribunal’s jurisdiction. However, several officials of the Ministry of Justice, as well as a staff member of the CCT, told SaharaReporters that Mr. Agabi’s purported motion was a carefully orchestrated scam to scuttle the Senate President’s trial. “The so-called motion Agabi talked about was never served on the tribunal. And as such the lead prosecutor [to the tribunal] was never made aware of the motion,” a lawyer with the Ministry of Justice declared. He added: “The whole thing was a ruse, and it was calculated to ridicule the judicial process and scuttle the Senate President's trial.”

After a report by SaharaReporters exposed the fact that the tribunal’s secretary was also not aware of Mr. Agabi’s so-called motion, an investigation by the Federal Government found that Mr. Saraki and his lead lawyer colluded with the Solicitor-General of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Taiwo Abidogun, as well as the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Sa'idu Diri, to hide the motion secretly filed at the Ministry of Justice. The judicial officials colluded with Mr. Saraki and his lawyers to hide the motion from the tribunal and the lead prosecutor, Rotimi Jacobs.

A highly placed security source told SaharaReporters that investigators had obtained records of phone conversations between Mr. Saraki and Mr. Abidogun discussing strategies for scuttling the corruption case against the senator, who for eight years was the governor of Kwara State. Part of the said conversation centered on the need to hide the motion from the tribunal. The investigator disclosed that Mr. Saraki used two phone numbers, 0802 454 4666 and 0810 451 2566, as he engaged in several conversations with Mr. Abidogun, whose phone number is 0803 316 4271.

Our source revealed that Mr. Abidogun claimed that he had informed the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Danlami Umar, that a motion challenging the CCT’s jurisdiction had been filed and served on his tribunal. Justice Umar was observing the lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia at the time.

Our investigation revealed that, shortly after the deal was struck, Mr. Abidogun called Mr. Jacobs to a meeting and asked the prosecutor to “cooperate,” asserting that the Ministry of Justice had decided to bring an end to Mr. Saraki’s trial.

Our security source claimed that once Mr. Abidogun and Mr. Diri arranged to fraudulently thwart Mr. Saraki’s trial, they assured the senator that the case was as good as “finished.” That assurance explained why Mr. Saraki was upbeat when he arrived at the tribunal yesterday.

Another lawyer at the Ministry of Justice told SaharaReporters that it was obvious that Mr. Saraki’s lawyers had connived with a few top officials of the ministry to thwart the case because Abubakar Malami, SAN the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation had minuted on the motion and instructed the DPP to respond to the motion at least 48 hours before he departed to London for a conference. “Justice Umar ought to have thrown ought the motion and commenced with the trial since [Mr. Agabi’s] motion was improperly filed,” said the lawyer. Instead of dismissing the motion, Justice Umar said he would hear the motion next Friday before proceeding with the trial.

When SaharaReporters ed the Solicitor General, he feigned ignorance about the issues. At first, he claimed that Mr. Agabi’s motion was not served on him but on the Ministry of Justice. He also indicated that the Attorney General was traveling. Asked why, as Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, he did not know that something was amiss with the case, he answered that he simply did not know. When our correspondent asked if he had ever been in with Senator Saraki about the issue, he claimed he had never met or spoken to Mr. Saraki, a claim that is at odds with what investigators told SaharaReporters.

This website had revealed that Mr. Saraki’s recruited his new lead lawyer, Mr. Agabi, because he had hired Justice Umar to work at his law practice in Calabar when the judge was a fledging lawyer. Mr. Agabi, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had also recruited Mr. Jacobs to work with him during his tenure in the cabinet.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/03/12/nigeria’s-solicitor-general-director-public-prosecutions-fingered-plot-scuttle-saraki’s

Saraki - The Face Of Corruption

The face of corruption

More facts have emerged on why some Ekiti State executive council and lawmakers were arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).

They are being investigated for various allegations, including alleged murder, destruction of government property, tax evasion, fraudulent procurement of judgment, attacks on courts and judges, fraudulent diversion of reimbursement on federal roads, subversion of electoral process, violence, among others.

The suspects are Commissioner for Finance Toyin Ojo; former Special Adviser on Revenue Matters Ropo Ogunjobi and four lawmakers-Afolabi Akanni (Efon), Musa Arogundade (Ado 1), Badejo Anifowose (Moba 2) and Sina Animasaun (Ekiti West 2).

The suspects and others yet to be arrested are also being investigated for their roles as “strikers” during the June 21 2014 governorship election.

They are accused of carrying out attacks and pointing at opposition figures who were arrested to pave way for rigging at various units.

A source told our reporter on Tuesday that Ojo was being questioned about the alleged receipt of N5.8 billion reimbursement from the Federal Government on the rehabilitation of federal roads, including the Ado-Ifaki Road.

The reimbursement on the project executed by the Kayode Fayemi istration was paid to the Ayo Fayose istration.

But it was not reflected in the 2015 budget speech presented by Fayose to seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers of the Fourth Assembly.

Ojo is also being grilled on the N2.4 billion Ecological fund received from the Federal Government but allegedly mismanaged, with records tendered at DSS showing that only N400 million was spent on ecological projects.

Our source also revealed that a lawmaker was being grilled for alleged murder during a political crisis in his home town, assault on Justice John Ademola Adeyeye, presentation of a forged House of Representatives Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election result for Ekiti North 2, which produced Thaddeus Aina as the winner.

One of the aspirants, Cyril Fasuyi, presented evidence in court that a forged result was presented when no election was held with the lawmaker at the centre of the alleged fraud.

The lawmaker is also being investigated for blocking the highway during the violence that trailed an attempt by the APC lawmakers in the Fourth Assembly to impeach Fayose for alleged gross misconduct.

He is also under investigation for alleged complicity in the murder of Kareem Modupe (a.k.a. Eleyele) during a political crisis in Efon last year.

Kareem’s body is still in the mortuary.

DSS is also investigating him over a petition that he did not possess a valid senior school certificate, which is the minimum requirement to contest for a House of Assembly seat.

He was said to have stopped school in Form Three.

The source said: “When he was asked in DSS custody about where he had his secondary education, he said he attended a secondary school in Lagos but he cannot the date.

“The lawmaker is being questioned for assaulting Justice Adeyeye alongside another aide of Fayose, who was rewarded with the position of Special Assistant.

“The day of the incident coincided with the first day of sitting of the Election Petition Tribunal when Fayose came to the court with a large number of his ers but he missed his way and a case was being heard at Justice Adeyeye’s court.

“Adeyeye advised him (Fayose) to control his ers but they assaulted him (Adeyeye) in the presence of witnesses. All these he will tell the DSS in the course of their investigation.”

The source also added that three lawyers in the Fayose istration are being investigated for allegedly masterminding an attack on Justice Isaac Olusegun Ogunyemi, who was hearing a suit filed by a group.

“Ogunyemi was to deliver a ruling to stay action on Fayose’s swearing-in but these lawyers masterminded the sacking of the court by inviting hoodlums who carried out the attack. The DSS is looking into these cases hitherto buried,” the source said.

Another lawmaker is at the centre of a fraudulently procured judgment from the Federal High Court, Abuja in which a lawyer was hired for the candidate who won the Ado 1 primary, Odunayo Talabi (aka Arinka), without the latter’s knowledge.

The lawmaker sued PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Talabi and secured an order to accept his nomination and reject Talabi’s candidacy.

Talabi’s name had appeared on the INEC list of candidates and he had been given nomination form by the electoral agency.

Talabi petitioned INEC and other agencies, claiming he was not put on notice and did not hire any lawyer to represent him.

A key Assembly man is also under investigation for allegedly destroying seven ballot boxes during the House of Assembly election in Moba 1 after the results on the field showed that the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Babatunde Yinka, had won.

One of the officials is being grilled about N1.9 billion missing within one year.

The source said: “Huge sums of money are transferred into s he opened with two new generation banks in Ado-Ekiti.

“He is building a petrol station and has built a mansion in his hometown.

“He is expected to shed light on alleged fraudulent deals with a vey senior government official and he has been cooperating.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/lawmakers-we-were-offered-1m-to-remove-fayose/

The Face Of Corruption

A coalition, Civil Society Network Against Corruption, CSNAC, has urged the President Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption, to investigate and sanction the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta for allegedly contravening the code of conduct for judicial officers.
In a petition signed by CSNAC chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, and addressed to the chairman of the commission, Prof. Itse Sagay, the anti-corruption coalition said the commission should investigate the introduction of Gabriel Igbinedion to Justice Auta at a book launch in honour of the Justice as well as the donation of N8million at the book launch by Mr. Igbinedion whose son was standing trial at the High Court before the donation.
The petition read: “In its publication of 18th February, 2016, Times, an online newspaper reported that The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has accused Mr. Rickey Tarfa, a senior Nigerian lawyer, of having a long history of manipulating courts and improperly communicating with judges. Mr. Tarfa, in defence instituted a Fundamental Rights Enforcement Action against the Commission. In the course of the proceedings, several startling revelations were made by the Commission.
“The report stated that in furtherance of his unhealthy relationships and communication with judicial officers, Mr. Tarfa sometime in April 2015, attended a book launch in honour of Ibrahim Auta the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, in the company of Gabriel Igbinedion, who was the chief launcher. At the event, Mr. Tarfa introduced Mr. Igbinedion to judges and senior lawyers who attended the programme. In the counter affidavit deposed to by one Moses Awolusi, an investigator on behalf of the EFCC, he stated as follows:
“That I know as a fact that in spite of the Applicant’s knowledge of Rule 3(f)(j) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers which stipulates that ‘A judicial officer and of his family shall neither ask for nor accept any gift, bequest, favour, or loan on of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties’ the Applicant did not advise his client not to donate the said sum of N8 million to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. Now shown to me and marked Exhibit ‘Q’ is Thisday edition of 3rd May 2015 capturing the proceedings of the launching including role of the Applicant”.
Furthermore, the report also stated that in the said affidavit, the investigating officer also stated “That I know as a fact that the Applicant’s client, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion made the donation of N8m at the referred occasion to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in spite of knowledge by Chief Gabriel Igbinedion that his son Michael Igbinedion who had been convicted was awaiting the sentence of the Federal High Court in criminal proceedings pending against Chief Gabriel Igbinedion’s son (Chief Michael Igbinedion) before the Federal High Court”.
While noting that shortly after the book launch and donation of the said N8million, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion’s son Michael was sentenced to 1 year imprisonment or a paltry fine of N1million in questionable plea bargaining that sparked outrage among Nigerians

“It is trite that the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers is replete with several provisions on the conduct and relationships of judicial officers with of the public.
“The Code of Conduct prohibits judicial officers from unnecessarily fraternizing with of the public that could result in putting the course of justice in jeopardy as well as causing embarrassment to the judiciary.
“The noncompliance with the provisions of the rules can be seen as exemplified by the questionable plea bargaining procedure Chief Gabriel Igbinedion’s son benefitted from shortly after his introduction to Hon. Justice Auta and the donation of the aforementioned sum.
“CSNAC is therefore by this petition calling for a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the introduction of Chief Igbinedion to Hon. Justice Auta, as well his donation of N8million at the book launch. The presence of several lawyers at the book launch should also be thoroughly investigated as this could create conflict in the exercise of his duties as a judicial officer, since the crop of senior lawyers who were in attendance are likely to come before his court.”

http://www.timesng.com/news/more-news/199627-ricky-tarfa-corruption-scandal-group-wants-nigeria-chief-judge-auta-investigated.html

In two separate charges filed by the anti graft agency, the learned silk are accused of offering gratification running into millions of naira to judges in bizarre ploy to influence decisions in their favour. Tarfa is facing a 27-count of alleged wilful obstruction of authorized officers of EFCC, refusing to declare asset, making false information to an officer of EFCC and offering gratification to a public official.

Some of the counts reads : “That you Rickey Tarfa [S.A.N] on the 29th day of January, 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, intentionally gave the sum of N 1,500,000.00 (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira only) to Hon. Justice Nganjiwa Hyeladzira Ajiya of the Federal High Court directly from your Zenith Bank No.1002926967, in order that the said Judge acts in the exercise of his official duties.

“That you Rickey Tarfa [S.A.N] on the 3rd day of October, 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, intentionally gave the sum of N 835,000.00 (Eight Hundred and Thirty Five Thousand Naira only) to Hon. Justice Nganjiwa Hyeladzira Ajiya of the Federal High Court directly from your Zenith Bank No.1002926967, in order that the said Judge acts in the exercise of his official duties.

“That you Rickey Tarfa [S.A.N] on or about the 15th day of December, 2015 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, intentionally gave the sum of N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira only) to Hon. Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court indirectly through Awa Ajia Nigeria Limited’s No. 0000971931 domiciled in Access Bank Plc belonging to Hon. Justice Nganjiwa Hyeladzira Ajiya in order that Hon. Mohammed Nasir Yunusa refrains from acting in the exercise of his official duties”.

For Nwobike, he is facing a 5 count charge of allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice and offering gratification to public official.

Two of the counts read: “That you Dr. Joseph Nwobike [S.A.N] on the 19th day of March, 2015 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, intentionally gave the sum of N 750,000.00 (Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Naira only) to Hon. Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court directly through your United Bank for Africa Plc No.1002664061 in order that the said Judge acts in the exercise of his official duties.

“That you Dr. Joseph Nwobike [S.A.N] on the 28th day of September, 2015 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, intentionally gave the sum of N 300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira only) to Hon. Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court indirectly through Awa Ajia Nigeria Limited’s No. 0000971931 domiciled in Access Bank Plc belonging to Hon. Justice Nganjiwa Hyeladzira Ajiya of the Federal High Court in order that the Hon. Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa acts in the exercise of his official duties”.

Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
5th March, 2016

http://saharareporters.com/2016/03/05/efcc-arraign-two-san-alleged-bribery

A female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) attached to the National Assembly narrowly escaped being raped on Thursday.

The fair complexioned lady was seen crying profusely at the White House wing of the National Assembly complex at about 5:45pm

She told ers-by at the Senate wing of the White House that she narrowly escaped being raped.

She said that a heavily built man accosted her while she went to ease herself at one of rest rooms in the upper legislative chamber.

The corps member said she was about to UnCloth herself when she saw a man entering the rest room.

The lady said she sensed that it was unusual for a man to enter the room specifically designed for women.

“As the man approached me, I had no option than to raise the alarm and the man took to his heels,” she said.

She wondered why security operatives at the National Assembly did not respond quickly to her call and apprehend the man.

http://thenationonlineng.net/corps-member-escapes-rape-at-nass/

The face of corruption

The immediate past Interior Minister, Abba Moro, will on Monday be docked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on an 11-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence, procurement fraud and money laundering before Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Others to be charged alongside Mr. Moro for their roles in the botched March 15, 2014 immigration recruitment exercise that killed no fewer than 20 job seekers across the country are: permanent secretary of the ministry at the time, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia; a deputy director in the ministry, F. O Alayebami; one Mahmood Ahmadu(at large), and the contracting firm given the recruitment job, Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.
The EFCC accused the defendants of defrauding 676,675 Nigerian applicants of N676,675,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Six Million, Six Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand Naira).
Each of the 676,675 applicants were charged N1,000 each for the participating in the recruitment exercise.
The anti-graft agency is also accusing the defendants of flouting the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 in the award of the contract for the organisation of the recruitment test to Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.
The EFCC alleged that Drexel EFCC had no prior ment and no needs assessment and procurement plan was carried out before the contract was awarded.
According to the anti-graft agency, the contract was awarded through selective tendering procedure by invitation of 4 (Four) firms without seeking the approval of the Bureau for Public Procurement, contrary to sections 40, 42 and 43 of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under section 58 of the same act.
Drexel is also alleged to be uned and had no legal capacity to enter into the said contract.
There is also said to be no budgetary provision for the exercise in the 2014 Federal Capital budget hence the applicants were made to bear the responsibility of funding the project without approval of the Board contrary to section 22(5) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000, the charge said.
The court document reads: “One of the accused Mahmood Ahmadu(who is at large) in connivance with Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd, lavished the total of N423,800,000.00(Four Hundred and Twenty Three Million, Eight Hundred Thousand naira) part of the N676,675,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy Six Million, Six Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand Naira) gotten from the applicants on the following: the sum N202, 500, 000( Two Hundred and Two Million Five Hundred Thousand naira ) in purchase of a property in a choice area of the Federal Capital territory, N120, 100,000 (One Hundred and twenty Million One hundred Thousand Naira ) used in upgrading a property in Abuja, while the total of N101, 200, 000( One Hundred and One Million Two Hundred thousand Naira) was converted to United states dollars for personal use.”
http://www.timesng.com/news/headlines/199244-ex-nigerian-minister-abba-moro-docked-monday-allegedly-duping-job-seekers.html

February 25, 2016Press Release
Nigerian authorities should investigate claims that a businessman threatened freelance journalist Augustina Armstrong-Ogbonna over her investigation into his company, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.
Armstrong-Ogbonna, who won the 2015 United Nations Foundation Prize for humanitarian coverage, said she was threatened by Emmanuel Iheanacho, a former interior minister, while investigating allegations that his company, Integrated Oil and Gas, was dredging around Irede community in the commercial capital, Lagos, without government approval and without an environmental impact assessment, according to news reports. Iheanacho denied the allegations about his company to J.
Armstrong-Ogbonna told J that when she ed Iheanacho for comment while writing the story he threatened her and told her not to publish. The journalist included the alleged threats in her report, writing that Iheanacho “warned me not to publish any story or else I will put myself in the firing line. He threatened to visit my office.” The story was published on the Environews website on February 15, and broadcast and discussed on two radio stations including Radio One 103.5 FM.
Armstrong-Ogbonna told J that on Monday, Raymond Gold, the Irede community spokesman she quoted as a source, was arrested on accusations of breaching the peace through a provocative story reported in the media. The community spokesman called Armstrong-Ogbonna from court on Tuesday and told her police were acting on Iheanacho’s orders and planned to arrest her too. The journalist told J she plans to report the threats to police.
“We are concerned by this report of a powerful public figure seeking to intimidate a journalist,” said J West Africa Representative Peter Nkanga. “We call on the authorities to investigate these threats against Augustina Armstrong-Ogbonna in a timely and thorough manner.”
Funke Treasure Durodola, the general manager at the government-owned station Radio One 103.5 FM, told J that Iheanacho visited the station’s offices in Lagos last week and reported Armstrong-Ogbonna to the station’s management. Armstrong-Ogbonna told J Iheanacho accused her of being paid to write the story to tarnish him. Durodola said the station’s legal department was looking into every aspect of the matter.
Iheanacho denied threatening Armstrong-Ogbonna and told J she was spreading falsehood about him. He said he has reported Armstrong-Ogbonna to all security agencies, including the police, for smearing his reputation.
When J asked Lagos state police spokeswoman Dolapo Bus about the threats and claims that police, acting on Iheanacho’s orders, planned to arrest the journalist, she responded by text message, saying that Armstrong-Ogbonna needs to petition the police and provide evidence for the threat to be investigated.

http://www.timesng.com/news/top-news/199032-ex-minister-threatens-nigerian-journalist-report.html

The face of corruption

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK FEB 23, 2016
The Buhari istration has ended the controversial practice of routine security vote allocation to top government, military and security officials, SaharaReporters has learned.

Sources in the Finance and Budget ministries also said that the order extends to the President himself, and the Vice President.

In recent decades, security votes became popular among politicians, military officers and public officers, especially presidents and state governors, as a vehicle for siphoning public funds. As the nation became more and more enmeshed in official graft, however, the practice began to generate tremendous public criticism.

Observers say it was a relic from the long years of military rule, but became even more prevalent as from the Second Republic, and assumed a more dramatic and wider form in 1999. Apart from principal federal government officials, state governors and local government chairmen often allocate huge sums of money to their offices as ‘security’ votes, even as the country grew increasingly insecure.

Government sources now confirm that as soon as the Buhari istration took power last year, a clear indication was given of the new direction when President Muhammadu Buhari asked ing officers in Aso Rock to keep an eye on his own expenses and that of his deputy, noting that they both intended to run a transparent presidency, with zero-tolerance for corruption. Subsequently, the President directed that there would be no routine allocation of security votes to he or anyone else as had been the practice since 1983.

For state governors, security votes often run into billions of Naira annually in many states. While the actual amount that normally goes to the president was always sketchy, there have been clear indications that it runs into several billions of Naira, sometimes on a monthly basis.

For example, under the Goodluck Jonathan presidency, several security vote s have been discovered not just in the office of the National Security Adviser, the State Security Service and the military, but also in s of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation.

In one particular instance, Mr. Jonathan approved a controversial payment of N2.4b in one day for the rent of 13 house boats for the use of the military in Niger Delta under the t Task Force Operation Pulo Shield. In the memo for the payment, the former president simply asked the then Petroleum Minister to “release the sum from NNPC security vote.”

The records show that the memo was approved by Mr. Jonathan on February 16, last year. It turned out, according to security sources, that the payment for the rent of the house boats was more than sufficient to actually buy several more house boats. The money was cashed from an NNPC in Zenith Bank, Maitama, number 023-01571-41-13-4 and paid into the Main of the Chief of Naval Staff.

Budget officials say while security chiefs and top civil servants argued for retention of security votes in order to take care of security contingencies, the President cancelled routine vote allocations outright, and cut security votes in the budget by 25%.

This means that the National Security Adviser’s office, the Department of State Security and the Department of Military Intelligence have had their budgets slashed by significant sums to reflect the president’s order to cancel routine allocation of security votes.

A source added that in a similar vein, the President and his deputy no longer receive huge sums of money normally released by the NSA’s office whenever they travel, as was the practice in past governments especially the Jonathan istration.

Sources revealed that in the past when the president or his deputy traveled, not only did they receive routine estacodes, the NSA would bring along loads of hard currency drawn from the security vote, sometimes as much as $50,000 per trip.

On learning of the practice, President Buhari is said to have given firm instructions to stop such practices, providing only that he and the Vice President would only receive civil service rated estacodes and daily travel allowance when they travel abroad, or locally.

A consequence of the new standard is that prominent Nigerians who visit Aso Rock and depart with huge bags or envelopes stacked with money no longer receive such treatment. A source in the presidency said when prominent Nigerians visit the president or his deputy these days, they only get a very warm reception, tea, water, sweets and kolanut, but that no money exchanges hands. Sources said such monies given out to prominent visitors were normally drawn from the security vote allocation.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/02/23/buhari-has-scrapped-security-vote-top-federal-officials-sources

Posted By: Seun Akioyeon: February 22, 2016
A former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke Bello, on Monday listed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and agents to the family of the late dictator, Sani Abacha, as behind plots to humiliate him over the Malabu oil deal.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had re-opened investigations into what may as one of the biggest scandals in the nation’s oil and gas industry involving Malabu Oil and Gas limited, Shell Ultra Deep Nigeria Limited and the Federal Government regarding the operation and sale of Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245.

OPL 245 is a potentially lucrative oil block estimated to hold up to 9.23 billion barrels of crude oil and about a quarter of Nigeria’s proven oil reserves.

It also has two deep water fields – Zabazaba and Etan – in the Gulf of Guinea.

In a letter dated December 31, 2015 and addressed to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the former AGF, who was invited by the EFCC on December 28, 2015, described the invitation by the anti-graft agency as “curious, unconventional and mischievous.”

Bello said since government is a continuum, all files relating to his conduct into the Malabu affairs was resident in the office of the AGF.

The ex-minister said he had ed the current AGF and submitted a comprehensive position paper which explained his role in the deal.

He said he has since been informed of a grand plot by those with vested interests in the case to humiliate him.

“It was after this development that I was made to understand that there were plans by some individuals who had become aware that I would be honouring the invitation of the EFCC on December 28, 2015 to humiliate me.

“I was also informed that these individuals had enlisted a notorious online media (Sahara Reporters) to smear my name with allegations of corruption and bribery and that some agents of the Abacha family and one Lawal Abba acting for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, were behind the scheme,” he said.

http://thenationonlineng.net/malabu-atiku-abachas-family-behind-my-ordeal-adoke/

Posted By: Gbade Ogunwale, Assistant Editor, Abuja
Moves by the leadership of the Senate to suspend Zamfara senator, Kabiru Marafa, may generate intense heat as the upper legislative chamber reconvenes on Tuesday.

Pique by what it described as Marafa’s disparaging press interviews in recent times, the Senate leadership last week, mooted the idea to suspend the lawmaker for a period of time.

But in a reaction on Sunday, Marafa said rather than suspending him, it is the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki that should be suspended.

At a press briefing in Abuja, Marafa said nobody in the Senate can suspend him, saying there was no offensive remarks in the said interviews he granted the press.

He said, “Nobody, I repeat, nobody in that Senate, can suspend me over those remarks I made in the said interviews. Rather, it is the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, that should be suspended by the Senate for turning things up side down within the last eight months from forgery of Standing Orders to illegally increasing the number of standing committees in the senate from 57 to 65 with attendant violation of ranking rules in their compositions.

“And above all, refusing to resign as Senate President in the face of his trial for corruption charges at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) and invariably battering the image of the Senate.

“Saraki should that when the issue first came up in August or September last year, but we didn’t tell him to resign. So he cannot by whatever means now, gag us and gag our mouths

“The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gives us the right to say our opinions, to air our views and nobody can deny us that.”

The senator linked the controversy generated by the alleged missing 2016 Budget to machinations by “fifth columnists” operating on behalf of the Senate President.

He continued, “These fifth columnists were shouting at different times that the budget was missing, the budget had been doctored, the budget was padded and that it could no longer be ed as earlier planned.

“Honestly speaking if am to comment on the controversy that has been trailing the 2016 budget in the Senate, I will say it is all the work of the fifth columnists there.

“You we woke up after 15 days or so of the receipt of the budget in the National Assembly. We woke up one day and the Senate President just came and said there was no budget, that the budget was stolen, thus embarrassing everybody. But the following day, the Speaker came out to say the budget was not stolen.

“Next, they said the budget was doctored, next they said the budget was padded, next they said there were discrepancies all over the place.

“We knew how they came into the leadership of the National Assembly or the Senate. Was it a coincidence that the issue of padding and everything just came up after the Supreme Court told Saraki to go and face your trial?”
http://thenationonlineng.net/suspend-saraki-not-me-marafa/

February 22, 2016 By John Alechenu and Eniola Akinkuotu
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has launched a fresh investigation into the alleged diversion of N4.4bn from the Nigerian Maritime istration and Safety Agency into the s of top officers of the Nigerian Air Force.

To this end, the EFCC transfered the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.), and a former Director, Finance and ing at NAF, Air Cdre S.A. Yushau, from its Abuja headquarters to Lagos last week.

[b]It will be recalled that as part of efforts to ensure improved security in the Nigerian maritime sector, NIMASA, on August 26, 2013, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the NAF with a view to providing effective air surveillance and monitoring of the nation’s coastal waters.

As part of the MoU, the Air Force was supposed to carry out aerial surveillance, reconnaissance, search and rescue, tactical airlift, enforcement and provide intelligence reports to NIMASA, which would aid in the fight against piracy, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism.

Badeh, who was the Chief of Air Staff at the time, signed on behalf of the NAF, while Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, who was the Director-General of NIMASA, signed on behalf of the maritime agency.

In furtherance of the MoU, billions of naira was said to have been transferred from the bank of NIMASA to the Air Force.

EFCC has, however, alleged that its investigations revealed that the money was diverted to private s.[/b]

A detective at the EFCC, who did not want his name in print, said, “We brought Badeh and Yushau to Lagos to answer to fresh allegations. The MoU that was signed by Badeh was for NAF aircraft to patrol the creeks to prevent pipeline vandalism and illegal oil bunkering

“As part of the agreement, money was transferred to the Air Force in two tranches – N1.4bn and N3bn – but the money was mostly in dollars. But the money was not used for that purpose.

“Rather, the MoU was a conduit pipe to siphon money from NIMASA to Air Force and then to companies in which they had interests or their wives were directors or signatories.”

Giving further insight into how the fraud was perpetrated, the detective alleged that the NAF top chiefs set up some small oil companies under the pretext that the companies were supplying aviation fuel to military aircraft.

Money was then paid into the bank s of these companies but the fuel was never delivered.

The source added, “The money that was transferred from NIMASA to the Air Force was for maintenance of the equipment and the fuelling of the aircraft but the money, which was mostly in dollars, went straight into the s of Bureau de Change operators.

“The money was changed from dollars and then returned to the Air Force men.

“They then set up dummy oil companies, which made it look as if the companies were rendering services. They made it appear as if the companies were supplying aviation fuel to the NAF, which is not true.

“Investigations revealed that the companies were opened in readiness for money to be paid into their s. We discovered that in these companies, these officers have interest in it or their wives are directors or signatories to the s.”

The source said this was probably why piracy in Nigeria continued to increase despite the MoU.

The EFCC had already arraigned Akpobolokemi on 13 counts of alleged N754.7m theft and had also been arraigned alongside nine others on 30 counts of alleged N3.4bn fraud before Justice Saliu Saidu of a Federal High Court in Lagos.

He was arraigned along with five others on 22 counts of alleged N2.6bn fraud before Justice Ibrahim Buba also of the same court.

There is also a pending 40 counts of alleged N34bn fraud against him.

The source said Akpobolokemi and some others in NIMASA could not claim to be ignorant of the deal involving the Air Force officers.

He added, “We believe that the Air Force was giving kickbacks to NIMASA people. Anytime money was transferred, they usually went back to the Air Force to collect their own share. Investigations are ongoing and we will unravel the transactions.”

Apart from Badeh and Yushau, some others, who are being investigated by the EFCC are the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.); the Chief of s and Budgeting of the NAF, Air Vice Marshal J.B. Adigun; and Air Commodore O. O. Gbadebo, who was the Director of Finance and Budget at NAF and also Yushau’s successor.

Meanwhile, the former Aide de Camp to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Ojogbane Adegbe, has reportedly informed the EFCC that he carried out his duties in accordance with his oath of office.

Adegbe is currently being interrogated by the anti-graft agency in connection with an alleged N10bn given to chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party on the instructions of Jonathan.

A source, privy to the interrogation, confided in one of our correspondents, in Abuja, on Sunday, that the former ADC explained to his interrogators that he had cause to receive and over sealed parcels and documents from the Commander-In-Chief to individuals.

The source said, “The ADC told EFCC operatives that part of his schedule of duty includes to collect and hand over documents and sealed parcels from his Commander-In-Chief to individuals.

“He also stated that he was not in the habit of opening such parcels to view their contents before an onward transmission to whomsoever such parcels were addressed to. He said doing otherwise would be a betrayal of the confidence reposed in him.

“He also told them that as a serving military officer, he was bound by his oath of commission into the Nigerian Armed Forces and would not divulge official secrets which he swore to keep.”

All attempts to reach the EFCC spokesperson, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on Sunday for comments on the fresh probe of Badeh and the update on the interrogation of Adegbe, proved abortive as his mobile indicated it was switched off.
http://www.punchng.com/efcc-links-ex-cds-badeh-to-n4-4bn-nimasa-fraud/

An anti-corruption coalition, the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), has urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate Justice M. N. Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Lagos division, for abuse of powers.
In the petition made available to journalists and signed by the coalition’s chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the CSNAC lamented the continuous, questionable manner by which the judge granted orders of perpetual injunction to political exposed persons and other accused persons from being arrested or prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the coalition, the NJC should investigate the various arbitrary injunctions granted by Justice Yunusa, adding that the rulings of the High Court judge were suspicions since the Supreme Court has held in a plethora of cases that the granting of perpetual injunctions against law enforcement agencies is a violation of constitutional provisions.
Citing a plethora of cases where Justice Yunusa granted the petitioners perpetual injunctions preventing the EFCC from doing his statutory duties, the coalition said the order from the judge will undoubtedly serve as a leeway for unscrupulous and corrupt individuals to escape justice.
Notable among the cases cited by the CSNAC in its petition is Senator Stella Odua v. AG Federation, EFCC, IC and IGP with suit no. FHC/L/CS/1342/15; Dr. Martins Oluwafemi Thomas v. EFCC in suit no. FHC/L/CS/1445/15, among others.
The petition read, “The grant of the orders of mandatory and perpetual injunctions by Justice Yunusa against the EFCC is a grave departure from the established principles in the aforementioned cases, as laid down by the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal which are binding on the Federal High Court, being a lower court.
“Honourable Justice Yunusa, by the granting of these orders, has stripped the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions of its constitutional powers as a law enforcement agency, as well its powers under the enabling law, the Economic and Financial Crimes (Establishment) Act, LFN 2004, a Federal Legislation. It is also a gross abuse of his powers as a judicial officer.

“These decisions, based on his Lordship’s refusal to abide by judicial precedents laid down by the apex court, will undoubtedly serve as a leeway for unscrupulous and corrupt individuals, who will stop at nothing to truncate their arrest, investigation and prosecution by the appropriate law enforcement agencies, to render our criminal law ineffective, as well as allowing corruption fester in the society.”
In the light of the above, “CSNAC therefore by this petition is requesting that the council carries out its constitutional role by immediately summoning Honorable Justice M. N. Yunusa on this matter and thereby ensuring that sanity is restored in the exercise of powers by judicial officers.”

http://www.timesng.com/news/top-news/198803-group-asks-njc-investigate-justice-yunusa-alleged-corruption.html

More trouble for Justice Yunusa ‎as Honeywell Group petitions Chief Justice over ‘judicial misconduct’
February 21, 2016 Ben Ezeamalu
The Honeywell Group has petitioned the ‎Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mahmud Mohammed, over alleged acts of judicial misconduct against Mohammed Yunusa, a judge of the Federal High Court.
In a petition addressed to the Nigerian Judicial Commission, the Honeywell Group accused Justice Yunusa of endorsing several abuses of court processes by a senior lawyer.
“We respectfully submit that the various acts of Yunusa. J with respect to the dispute between Honeywell and Ecobank constitute unfair conduct which have had and are still having grave impact on our company and its operations,” read the petition dated February 12th and also copied to the National Judicial Council and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
“Indeed, our company with an asset base of N68 billion and annual revenue of about N55 billion with over 5,000 employees and several distributors has been subjected to unfair restrictions using the instrumentality of the court.”
The petition came amidst claims that the judge received a N225,000 ‘bribe’ from Rickey Tarfa, another senior lawyer who is currently facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Honeywell Group vs Ecobank‎
In 2012, Honeywell Group began discussions with Ecobank over the indebtedness of the former’s three operating companies – Anchorage Leisures Limited, Siloam Global Services, and Honeywell Flour Mills Plc – to Oceanic Bank before it was acquired by the latter.
The negotiations between the two organizations resulted in an ‎agreement of N3.5 billion to be paid to the bank by the Honeywell Group, a payment which was completed in January 2014, according to the petition.
But 11 months later, Ecobank allegedly reneged ‎on the agreement and refused to issue letters of discharge to the Honeywell companies or update their s accordingly on the CBN CRMS portal.
“As a result of Ecobank’s refusal to fulfil its obligations, Honeywell petitioned the Bankers Committee Sub-committee on Ethics and Professionalism for its intervention for a speedy resolution of the matter,” the Honeywell Group stated in the petition.
“Following a thorough review of the petition and the positions canvassed by both Parties, a ruling was issued in favour of Honeywell to the effect that the agreement reached between Ecobank and Honeywell for the payment of N3.5 billion as full and final settlement of Honeywell’s indebtedness to Ecobank is valid and should be complied with.
“Despite the decision of the Bankers Committee, Ecobank continued to refuse to fulfil its obligations and insisted that Honeywell was indebted to the Bank.”
As a result of the bank’s alleged refusal, the Honeywell Group in August last year instituted a suit against Ecobank at the Federal High Court, Lagos, a matter still pending before Justice Mohammed Idris.
In September last year, Ecobank, through its counsel, Kunle Ogunba, filed an application before the judge challenging the jurisdiction of the court on the basis that the dispute ought to be decided at the State High Court since it was a contract issue, and not a banker/customer relationship.
One month later, according to the petition, Ecobank filed a winding up petition before Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Lagos,‎ on the same facts as the case before Justice Idris.
“Surprisingly, the suit is in the same Federal High Court which Ecobank had challenged jurisdiction to hear the matter,” the petition stated.
Along with the suit, Ecobank further filed a motion exparte seeking “far reaching restraining orders” against Honeywell Flour Mills Plc.
“Tsoho. J. heard the exparte application and refused same because of the pending suit before Idris. J.‎ as well as the fact that the documents attached to the motion showed that the alleged debt was in dispute.
“Ecobank was thereafter directed to put Honeywell Flour Mills Plc on Notice.”
The Yunusa connection
However, instead of putting Honeywell Flour Mills Plc on Notice as directed by Justice Tsoho, Ecobank filed another winding up petition before Justice Mohammed Yunusa‎ “in exactly repetitive as the one before Tsoho. J. Ecobank also exhibited the same documents as the ones in the matter before Tsoho. J. in which he had refused to grant the exparte order.”
On 18th November, 2015, Justice Yunusa granted the exparte orders and adjourned the matter till 24th December, 2015.
‎The Honeywell Group stated it immediately filed an application for the discharge of the exparte order and dismissal of the suit before Justice Yunusa on two grounds – abuse of court process (in view of the suit before Justices Idris and Tsoho on the same facts and between the same parties), and the fact that exparte orders of injunction were granted by Justice Yunusa in a winding up petition in which the respondent was not allowed a hearing and for a sum that was being disputed.
“On 4th of December, 2015‎, Yunusa. J directed that all other cases coming up on that day be adjourned such that when he eventually sat to read the ruling, the court room was almost empty.
“Yunusa. J disallowed our application for the discharge of exparte orders made by him on the ground that the said exparte orders granted were in the nature of Mareva injunctions.
“He further stated that he did not see any reason why the alleged Mareva injunctions should be discharged. He specifically held that he was exercising what he termed as ‘Mareva jurisdiction.'”
The petition stated that the judge, in the ruling, refused to comment on all the issues raised before him, including that of abuse of court process.
He also ruled that Honeywell was heavily indebted to Ecobank, adding that the former did not deny the indebtedness.
“This we found incomprehensible as Yunusa. J had in his handwritten transcript of the proceedings recorded our counsel as submitting that there was no indebtedness and that the exparte orders granted by him had earlier been refused by Tsoho. J.”
After his ruling, the petition said the judge announced that a copy would be made available for collection on the same day.
“Unfortunately, however, despite repeated demands and subsequent filing of a motion for the release of the ruling, Yunusa. J refused to release the ruling until after a notice of appeal had been filed before the Court of Appeal on the 4th February, 2016 (60 days after the ruling was delivered on the 4th of December, 2015).
“We are aware that Section 24(2)(a) of the Court of Appeal Act allows us only 14 days to file an interlocutory appeal. Though we filed a Notice of Appeal from notes taken by our counsel on 4th December, 2015, Yunusa. J refused to release the ruling and case file in order to enable us completely transmit the records of appeal and also fully exercise our constitutionally guaranteed right of appeal within the time allowed.
“Order 6(b) of the Court of Appeal Practice Directions also mandates that records of appeal are transmitted within 7 days of filing a Notice of Appeal. In all of these, our rights were asphyxiated by Yunusa. J’s conduct.
“Indeed, on 27th January, 2016, when the appeal came up at the Court of Appeal, the ruling of Yunusa. J was yet to be released. We again remind your Lord Justice Sir, that we had earlier written a letter dated 11th December, 2015, to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court which was copied to your goodself and Yunusa. J amongst others complaining that he was yet to release his ruling but same did not make any impression on Yunusa. J.”
The petition called for appropriate disciplinary actions against Justice Yunusa for his “acts of misconduct.”
Justice Yunusa could not be reached to comment for this story.
http://www.timesng.com/news/headlines/198753-troubles-corrupt-nigerian-judge-yunusa-honeywell-files-fresh-petition.html

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) was poised last night to drag Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court to the National Judicial Council(NJC) for investigation on the alleged N225,000 bribe from a lawyer Mr. Ricky Tarfa (SAN).

A formal complaint was due to be lodged with the NJC by the EFCC yesterday.

The anti-graft agency,it was gathered,decided against arresting or arraigning the judge because of its respect for the rule of law and due process.

A reliable source in the commission confirmed that “we are lodging a formal complaint against Justice Yunusa with the National Judicial Council (NJC) for the investigation of his inappropriate relationship with Tarfa.

“We want them to look into the alleged payment of N225,000 into his by Mr. Ricky Tarfa(SAN).

“As the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has said, this commission has respect for the rule of law and due process. We will refer Justice Yunusa to the Chief Justice of Nigeria who is also the Chairman of the NJC.

“The outcome of the NJC’s investigation will further determine how we will treat the judge’s matter. But we are also ready to submit all relevant facts and evidence to the NJC.”

On the fate of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, the source said: “It is left to the NJC to take judicial notice of the reference made to him in the affidavit and find out if there was a book launch or not.”

A source in the NJC said the nation might have to wait for a while to know the culpability or otherwise of Justice Yunusa in the bribery scandal because the investigative process will go through four stages.

The source said: “First of all, the EFCC must send a petition to the CJN. Then the CJN will refer the matter to the Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee (PCAC) which will determine the merit or otherwise of the issues.

“After the profiling by the PCAC, the matter will then be taken to the Plenary of the NJC. It is the Plenary that will now decide whether or not to set up a Fact-Finding Committee where the petitioner(s) and the defendants will appear with their lawyers.

“Despite these four stages, a petition or complaint can be given accelerated hearing by the NJC.”

The NJC and the President are empowered to determine a judge’s fate in line with the process outlined by the Part I, Paragraph I, Section 21(b) of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 292(1)( a)(i)

Part I, Paragraph I, Section 21(b) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution reads: “For the avoidance of doubt, the said Third Schedule, Part I, Paragraph I, Section 21(b) of the Constitution provides that “the NJC shall have power to recommend to the President the removal from office of (the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Justices of the Supreme Court, the President and Justices of the Court of Appeal, and the Chief Judge and Judges of the Federal High Court) and to exercise disciplinary control over such officers”

Section 292(1)( a)(i) says: “A judicial officer shall not be removed from his office or appointment before his age of retirement, except in the following circumstances (a) in the case of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the President of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Grand Khadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and President, Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, by the President( of Nigeria), acting on an address ed by two-thirds majority of the Senate, praying that he be so removed for his inability to discharge the functions of his office or appointment (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body) or for misconduct or contravention of the Code of Conduct.”

In an affidavit at the Federal High Court in Lagos, an operative of the EFCC, Mr. Moses Awolusi, said the agency’ investigation of Tarfa’s Access Bank number 0000964760 “shows that before the institution of the above proceeding, particularly on 7th January 2014, the applicant bribed His Lordship, Honourable Justice M. N. Yunusa with the sum of N225,000; a copy of the applicant’s firm’s details showing the transfer of the sum of N225,000 from the applicant’s firm to Honourable Justice M. N. Yunusa is hereby shown to me and marked Exhibit ‘O’.”

The operative added: “I know from facts revealed during investigation that the said bribe of N225,000 was accepted and acknowledged by Justice Yunusa in a text message to the applicant wherein he said ‘Thank you my senior advocate’.

“I also know that investigation has revealed that the applicant’s law firm was in the habit of asking the Chief Registrar of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court to assign his cases before His Lordship Honourable M. N. Yunusa in furtherance of the understanding between the applicant and the particular judge.”

The EFCC operative alleged that even a junior lawyer in Tarfa’s law firm “also engaged in the corrupt practices of their boss” by manipulating the court’s registry to fix and assign cases by them to particular judges.

According to Awolusi, there is evidence that Tarfa instructed bank officials through his mobile phone to transfer funds to other public officers.

The operative said details of such instructions “are being kept to prevent the applicant from tampering with evidence concerning allegation of corrupt practices against the applicant.”

The EFCC alleged that sometime in 2005, Tarfa collected $500,000 from one of his clients “under the pretext that he was going to bribe some officials of the EFCC”.

The commission recalled that on April 29, 2015, Tarfa’s law firm represented Michael Igbinedion, who was standing trial for laundering N25billion.

TheEFCC said Tarfa, on April 30, attended a book launch in honour of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, in company of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, who was the chief launcher, and who donated N8million.

The EFCC said Tarfa did not advise Igbinedion not to donate the money since Igbinedion’s son, who was later convicted, was standing trial before the court.

The commission said Tarfa and his brother silks donated N7million on the occasion despite having cases before the Chief Judge.

According to the agency, Tarfa obtained $500,000 from one Prince Akinruntan in 2006, who later stated that it was by “false pretence”.

TheEFCC quoted Akinruntan as saying: “He (Tarfa) told me that the money is not for him alone, that he is going to settle the court, EFCC and many other people.”
http://thenationonlineng.net/efcc-to-drag-judge-to-njc/

Lawyers stormed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday to defend the integrity of their trade and the anti-graft agency’s battle against corruption.
The group of “Concerned Lawyers” described as embarrassing, actions of some legal practitioners which seem to be hindering the fight against corruption.
The lawyers, who were led to the agency’s Lagos office by Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), promised to mobilise Nigerians against any group seeking to hinder the anti-graft war.
They also backed the EFCC for keeping some high profile suspects in custody, wondering why the courts will grant them bail, but refuse suspected kidnappers and armed robbers bail.
The lawyers, who were received by EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu, assured the commission of their unflinching so long as it is prepared to fight corruption without being selective.
Falana, who first spoke on behalf of the group, urged the agency to avoid generalising on corruption among lawyers, insisting that there are as many bad eggs in the legal profession as there are in the commission.
He noted the worrisome spate of corruption in the country, describing it as a family phenomenon, where fathers and their children are locked in the same prison without shame.
“We are here to assure the EFCC of our unflinching and solidarity as long as the EFCC is prepared to fight graft without trace of selectivity.
“We also want to urge you to beware not to fall into the fallacy of generalisation. There are bad lawyers and judges, but there are also good ones.
“Name and shame criminal minded judges and lawyers. Majority of of the legal profession are prepared to work with the EFCC to ensure that corruption is fought.
“There should be respect for lawyers doing their professional duties. No lawyer should be harassed for doing his professional duty. But any lawyer found to have aided and abated corruption should be dealt with in accordance with the laws. No one is above the law.
“We are embarrassed by a few of our privileged colleagues who bribe judges, talk to them behind doors to pervert justice,” he said.
While reiterating that every accused person is entitled to legal representation, Falana urged lawyers to uphold the ethics of their profession.
“Lawyers must not be allowed to take advantage of their profession to frustrate trial of a suspect. We have a duty to this country as ministers in the temple of justice,” he said.
Emphasising the call for bail denial for persons accused of corruption, Falana noted that the courts must exercise their discretion to bail very well.
“Why deny a suspected armed robber or kidnapper bail, but grant a person who is accused of stealing N10 billion or above bail and give him his port to roam the world?
“Corruption is responsible for armed robbery and kidnapping. It is responsible for unemployment in our society and so, why should such people enjoy bail?
Replying, Magu said he was willing to die fighting graft, noting that corruption has started fighting back.
He said: “Corruption has started fighting back. Beneficiaries of proceeds of corruption have constituted themselves into a gang of 134 lawyers to fight back, but we will win.
“We have professionals who are paid with stolen funds to fight those fighting corruption. They do not believe that corruption in itself is wrong…”
He described them as a “set of unpatriotic Nigerians”, noting that they have created an industry out of providing expertise and technical know-how to crooks.
“It was against this backdrop that I made my call on some senior lawyers to aid EFCC to recover our stolen commonwealth, rather than helping to thwart the efforts of the government in that direction. Since I made that call, a number of your colleagues have been calling for my head.
“I want to announce that we have been prosecuting lawyers quietly. Apart from the widely published case against learned silk, Ricky Tarfa (SAN), the EFCC has taken several lawyers to court and some have been convicted. The commission would be releasing all the information about those people to the public soon.
“Apart from those, we have been quietly investigating many senior lawyers across the country in relation to the proceeds of certain heinous crimes against the Nigerian people. When we have reached a comfortable stage in our investigations, we would take them to court and make the outcomes of our inquiries known to the people.
“I am very much aware that the war against corruption and all the work of the EFCC cannot be done without the courts, where lawyers and judges make up that indispensable branch of democratic governance.
“Far from the devious insinuation that we may be denying the rights of suspects and accused persons to legal representation, what we are asking of the noble profession to do is stricter due diligence on their prospective clients and refuse to be part of the mindless looting of Nigeria.
“Let senior lawyers allow the ethics of their profession, the interest of Nigeria and their good conscience to guide them when they accept briefs and are called upon to use their skills to pervert the cause of justice, as many now do.”
Meanwhile, Mohammed Fawehinmi, son of the late legal icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, advocated death penalty for corrupt persons.
He said: “Once there is evidence, there is no point granting corrupt people bail. Keep them under lock and after the trial, execute them. Judges should stop relying on Section 36 for corruption matters.
“More than 4200 soldiers have been killed in the fight against insurgency; over five million people have been displaced.”
http://thenationonlineng.net/falana-others-well-fight-anti-graft-battle-obstacles/

Human rights lawyers, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) and Jiti Ogunye, on Thursday led a retinue of lawyers, under the aegis of Association of Democratic Lawyers, on a solidarity march to the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Ikoyi, Lagos, where they were received by the EFCC Acting Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

Also in the team was the son of the late human rights icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), Mohammed.

Falana declared the of his group and many other lawyers in the country to the anti-corruption fight of the EFCC.

He assured the anti-graft agency of lawyer’s whenever any individual or group attempted to harass or intimidate the anti-corruption agency in its mandate.

Falana said he and his colleagues were embarrassed with allegations that some senior lawyers were talking to judges in order to pervert the course of justice.

“We are here to assure the EFCC of our unflinching and solidarity in so far as EFCC is prepared to fight graft without trace of selectivity.
“We also want to urged you to beware not to fall into the fallacy of generalisation. There are bad lawyers and judges, but there are also good ones.
“We are embarrassed by a few of our privileged colleagues who bribe judges, talk to them behind doors to pervert justice,” he said.

On his own part, Ogunye called on the Nigeria Bar Association to do a soul-searching rather than queuing up against their colleague to protest against an anti-corruption agency.

He said, “One is really amazed that the most garlanded and decorated section of the Bar are playing this kind of role. Clearly, it is very embarrassing because under the Lagal Practitioners’ Act, there is a process for disciplining lawyers for ethical infraction.”
http://www.punchng.com/anti-graft-war-falana-ogunye-others-stand-efcc/

Fresh facts have emerged on some of the issues being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.

These include payments of over N3bn on ‘questionable contracts’ and unexecuted projects between 2013 and 2015. Others are monies approved for over-inflated air tickets and non-executed foreign trips.

The EFCC had on Friday arrested the Managing Director of NAMA, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, and four other top officials of the agency in a raid that lasted over nine hours.

The other officials, who have since been taken to Abuja for further interrogation, are the Director of Finance and s, Mrs. Clara Aliche; Acting Director of Procurement, Muyiwa Adegorite; General Manager (Finance), Nurudeen Segun Agbolade; and Project Manager, Felicia Agubata.

According to a source at the EFCC, they are to help unravel how Abdulsalam and his predecessor allegedly signed off payments of over N3bn on ‘questionable contracts’ between 2013 and 2015.

The anti-graft agency, acting on a petition, had swooped on the agency. The petition is titled, ‘A clarion call for investigation of financial recklessness in the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, which has affected the performance of the agency and provision of efficient safety services,’ written by an undisclosed stakeholder.

EFCC lamented that the alarming and reckless manner with which, “the present and the immediate past chief executives of NAMA have acted in expending public resources is frightening.”

In the said petition, the petitioner, who is said to be a top official of NAMA, warned that if immediate action was not taken, the agency “may soon be unable to provide navigation and air traffic services, among other core mandates of the agency, which would affect and compromise tremendously the safety of the flying public.”

Reports say that the EFCC is also investigating the payment of alleged over-inflated overseas tickets and non-executed foreign trips.

This is said to entail the use of a travel agency company without compliance with due process “to siphon money through payment for foreign tickets.”

The Commission is also alarmed that between January 2013 and December 2014, a sum of N300m was taken out of the agency’s coffers through what it described as ‘fictitious, over-invoiced and non-existent foreign travels.”

Based on close monitoring and critical examination of bank payments, it was discovered that special payments and releases were made to a few staff of the agency for fictitious projects which were allegedly not executed.

Evidence made available to EFCC from NAMA s department showed that from January 2013 to March 2015, over N700m had been siphoned through this process, using a handful of officers.

However, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, has appointed Emmanuel Anasi as acting Managing Director of NAMA. This followed the arrest of the Managing Director, Abdulsalam.

Anasi, who is NAMA’s Director of Engineering, is to act in the absence of Abdulsalam, who is currently being investigated by EFCC.

Amaechi paid an unscheduled visit to NAMA on Tuesday and had a closed-door meeting with the Directors of the agency before directing Anasi to act in order to prevent a vacuum.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Air Transport Employees has thrown its weight behind the EFCC operation in NAMA, stressing that it was the right thing to do in view of what it described as massive corruption in all aviation agencies.

The NUATE President, Alhaji Safiyanu Mohammed, blamed the poor work syndrome and welfare conditions of his colleagues and other workers on corruption in the sector. He affirmed that workers were in full of every legal measure that would stop the endemic corruption.
http://www.punchng.com/nama-boss-others-spent-n3bn-on-fake-contracts-efcc-source/

The Federal High Court in Lagos Wednesday dismissed an application by a Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, from arresting him.

Kuku had urged the court to restrain anti-corruption agencies from arresting and prosecuting him over allegations of corruption.

But, Justice Okon Abang held that the application lacked merit.

“This application lacks merit and is hereby dismissed. I so hold,” said the judge.

Justice Abang refused Kuku’s prayer to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) from arresting and probing him.

The judge, however, said should Kuku be arrested, he should not be detained beyond 48 hours.

Justice Abang said detaining Kuku beyond 48 hours would be in contravention of Section 35(4)(5) of the 1999 Constitution.

According to the judge, ‎EFCC has a statutory obligation to investigate Kuku over alleged financial impropriety.

The court also held that the anti-graft agency has the right to arrest Kuku if he refuses to honour invitation.

The judge disagreed with the submission that any move to invite Kuku was politically motivated.

After assuming jurisdiction in the case, Justice Abang held: ‎”It is in my humble view that the invitation sent to the applicant is lawful and constitutional.

“The court cannot stop a statutory institution from performing it constitutional duty.”

The court, however, restrained the respondents from arresting the applicant unlawfully, noting that his arrest must follow due process.

Kuku sued the Attorney-General of the Federation, EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (IC), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the DSS and the Nigerian Immigration Service.

He alleged there was “a plot by the respondents to concoct, fabricate or falsify evidence in order to provide a basis for the arrest, detention, persecution and/or prosecution of the applicant (Kuku) for political reasons…”

According to him, it was “in furtherance of the unconscionable use of the otherwise laudable war against corruption to repress the political opposition constituted by the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including the applicant.”

Kuku sought a declaration that any such invitation, arrest, harassment or prosecution on the basis of allegations of corruption in respect of his tenure as Chairman of the Amnesty Programme between 2011 and 2015 is a breach of his right to fair hearing and freedom of movement.

Similarly, he sought an order prohibiting the respondents from arresting or prosecuting him on the basis of the allegations.

The Auditor-General of the Federation had raised questions over alleged mismanagement of funds in reports of audit monitoring and evaluation of the amnesty programme.

Kuku’s lawyer Mr Ajibola Oluyede said the respondents were about to abuse the criminal process by seeking to arrest his client.

“There is an illegal and unjustifiable intigation of the criminal process against the applicant in a manner that infringes upon his fundamental rights enshrined in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution,” he said.

But the AGF’s and IGP’s counsel, Mr Tijani Gazali, urged the court to dismiss Kuku’s application.

He said Kuku was only invited to clear allegations of corruption against him, adding that there was no plot to violate his rights.

“We only invited him to ensure his right to fair hearing. It was only an invitation. Instead, he has run to the court to be conferred with immunity so as not to be investigated. He was invited so as to tell his own side of the story,” Gazali said.
http://thenationonlineng.net/jonathans-ex-aide-kuku-loses-bid-to-stop-arrest/

Published on February 16, 2016 by
The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the revelations made by Governor Nyesom Wike about how he won the State Governorship Election dispute at the Supreme Court as an indictment of the apex court.
Wike had publicly said during his well-publicised Thanksgiving Service of 7th February, 2016: “He (referring to former governor, Dr. Peter Odili) would call me at midnight to tell me what to do. He will say, ‘go to so, so place’. I took all his advice and here we are today victorious.”
Rivers APC said in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, and issued Tuesday in Port Harcourt that Wike’s confession had ended the mystery about how he procured the shocking judgement considering that Dr. Odili’s wife, Mrs. Mary Odili, is a Justice of the Supreme Court.
“That Wike may have influenced the outcome of the judgement given by the Supreme Court for PDP in Rivers State was further exposed by PDP ers, who started celebrating the judgement by 9am – almost ten hours before the incredulous judgement was delivered at 6.45pm on Wednesday, January 27, 2016,” Rivers APC said.
The party regretted that Rivers people had by the judgement been denied the opportunity to vote for the governorship candidate of their choice simply because “to Wike, everything in this world, including every judgement, has a price tag.”
Rivers APC aligned itself with the position of the Head of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Committee, Prof. Itse Sagay, that the reasons adduced by the Supreme Court for its judgement on the Rivers governorship election are not convincing.
Citing the statement by Prof. Itse Sagay,APC said the erudite Scholar in his reaction titled, ‘Wike Climbed Into The Governorship Seat Over Dead Bodies’: “Everybody knows that people like Wike climbed into the governorship seat over dead bodies and over the blood of human beings. There were no elections, they wrote the results; the evidence is there.” Sagay added that what the Supreme Court has done is to set the clock of electoral excellence and fairness and credibility back by, “ I do not want to say a thousand years, but certainly it is taking us back to where we were before (former INEC Chairman, Prof. Atahiru) Jega came in and sanitised the system.”
The party expressed its conviction that “the blood of our 100 killed to install Wike as Rivers State Governor will one day touch the minds of the Supreme Court Justices and make them to give correct judgements that will save Nigeria from the shame in the international community occasioned by this unjust judgement.”
The statement also berated those that are criticising the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, for his principled stand on the obvious misleading judgement of the Supreme Court. Dr Dakuku Peterside only quoted what Wike said in Church and drew the attention of the world to it without ing a judgement. The fact remains that Dr Peterside never ever criticized the judiciary. Every person knows that Dr Dakuku Peterside is a man of character and high moral standing.
APC said in other climes what Wike said in church could cause an outrage. The party dismissed those criticizing Dr Peterside in this regard as being insensitive to the inviolability and sanctity of life as the 100 souls of APC killed for Gov Wike to be so elected meant nothing to them.
To us, these people are ignorant people who do not deserve any serious attention. If anybody or institution is angry, such an institution or fellow should shift their anger to Wike who shamelessly told the entire world how he procured his Supreme Court judgement and leave Dr Peterside out of this sad development in our judiciary.
Rivers APC attaches a version of the you tube recording of Gov. Nyesom Wike’s speech at his Thanksgiving Service in Port Harcourt Sunday, February 7, 2016.

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2016/02/16/wikes-revelations-an-indictment-on-supreme-court-apc/

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK FEB 16, 2016
The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the re-opening and resumption of activities on the Halliburton and Siemens bribery scandals with the aim of bringing those culpable to justice.

In a statement issued by Wale Salami, its Media Coordinator, CACOL said it was vindicated by the development.

Turning particular attention to the role of Mr. Mohammed Adoke Bello, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, CACOL said it had suspected that the Minister was going to abet corruption even before he assumed office, as a result of which it advised the Goodluck Jonathan-led government at the time not to appoint “proven incompetent people’’ as ministers.

“Adoke as the Attorney General of the Federation AGF; exhibited arrogance of impunity when he moved round the country to withdraw cases that the anti-graft agencies were painstakingly pursuing in the courts in a bare-faced effrontery to create escape routes for corruption criminals whose cases were in the courts,” the statement said. It added that the Minister actually acted like a hatchet-man who was on a mission to kill the anti-corruption drive of the country, noting that his antecedents even earned the notorious nickname, ‘Nolle Adoke’, for his ignoble role in seeking nullifications of several corrupt cases.

“Our suspicion came to bolder relief in year 2010 when we stumbled on information that the former Minister coordinated bribery scandals where spurious ‘legal fees’ involving up to about $26 million USD were paid to prosecution counsels even though the accused were never prosecuted in any court which led CACOL to play its’ role as a patriotic organisation with an objective to combat corruption; by blowing the whistle on Mr Adoke through protest marches backed with petitions to the EFCC and IC submitted on 26th July, 2011 at their Head Offices in Abuja,” CACOL recalled.

Commending the re-opening and resumption of activities on the two scandals, the group recalled its long pursuit of justice on them by its protests and petitions in which it specifically requested the investigation of Mr. Adoke urgently for his extortion.

Reiterating its focus on its objectives, CACOL recalled the recent words of its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran, urging the EFCC to continue the process and to vigorously pursue the case or cases to logical conclusions within the ambit of the law.

“The EFCC should even look beyond the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Joseph Daudu (SAN); the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), Chief Godwin Obla (SAN), Mr. Damian Dodo (SAN), and Mr. Roland Ewubare for their alleged involvement in the $182m Halliburton scandal. Everyone else involved in the Halliburton and Siemens scandal must pay for their crimes, no matter who they are,’’ he stated.

He further reiterated the need for diligence in investigations, prosecutions and procedure, stressing that a situation where culprits of corruption escape justice based on wobbly prosecutions or investigations must be left in the past if the anti-corruption will be effective for Nigeria’s national development.

“When the culprits of corruption do not get punitive due to them for their crimes to serve as deterrent, then at best, the whole anti-corruption garb; of the present government, the agencies and citizens could described as a big charade.’’ Mr Adeniran added.

CACOL said its desire remains to see agencies of the government treat all suspected corruption criminals in the same way in order to send the appropriate message to innocent Nigerians that corruption is a shameful act, pointing out that this is in line with CACOL’s mantra: Name, Nail, Shame and Shun corrupt leaders anywhere, everywhere.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/02/16/halliburton-siemens-scandals-coalition-against-corrupt-leaders-says-it-vindicated

BY THE NATION NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL BOARD FEB 14, 2016
What did Lagos lawyer Ricky Tarfa (SAN) think he was doing when he allegedly tried to foil the arrest of two Benin Republic nationals by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)? Also, why are dozens of SANs ing him?

For about five hours on February 5, Tarfa allegedly hid two Beninoise suspects – Nazaire Sorou Gnanhoue and Modeste Finagnon– in his Mercedes-Benz Sports Utility Vehicle, following a move by the EFCC to re-arrest them. The men, Tarfa’s clients, were standing trial for alleged fraud. They were out on bail but were also being investigated for alleged tax evasion running into millions of naira, which prompted the move by the anti-graft agency to re-arrest them.

It was at this point that Tarfa perhaps forgot that he was not just a lawyer, but a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), a title that placed him in the elite circle of legal practitioners in the country. He rubbished professionalism and professional honor by allegedly shielding the Beninoise from EFCC agents in such a spectacular manner that raised questions not only about his understanding of the ethics of his profession but also about his appreciation of the meaning of justice.

It is interesting that a report described Tarfa as “a lawyer with over two decades of experience at the Bar and runs a law firm with over 50 lawyers, 30 paralegals and staff, as well as two retired judges as consultants-in-chamber.”

Ironically, Tarfa staged the drama on the premises of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere, Lagos. It was at the place of justice that Tarfa allegedly attempted to frustrate the process of justice.

Lawyers usually describe their profession as noble, but there was nothing noble about Tarfa’s alleged conduct. Indeed, by his alleged action, he demonstrated that being a lawyer, or even a SAN, is no argument against the ignoble behavior.

It is food for thought that Tarfa’s arrest and detention by the EFCC for alleged willful obstruction of the course of justice provoked narrow-minded reactions from some prominent of the elitist circle of Senior Advocates who shockingly glossed over his alleged offense. A report said:

“Former Presidents of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Joseph Bodunrin Daudu (SAN), Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), Prof. Kanyisola Ajayi (SAN) and Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN) all condemned the detention without bail.” Dauda said: “We shall consult with the president and take a united action against that at the Bar to protect the interest of Nigerian lawyers.” Akeredolu attributed the arrest to the overzealousness of the commission’s operatives.

“This is an utter disregard for the rule of law and the sanctity of the legal profession guaranteed by the constitution,” he said.”

The report continued: “Ajayi said: ‘I don’t know what the allegation against Ricky Tarfa is, but if he was arrested for obstructing justice, then it would be most unfortunate if he isn’t given bail because it is not that serious an offense that should even require any form of detention.’” Ngige urged the commission to follow due process in carrying out its duties. He said: “Nobody is against the war against corruption, nobody is against the EFCC; we the anti-graft war 100 per cent, but let the due process be followed in doing this.”

It is curious that the logic of these senior lawyers accommodated the illogic of Tarfa’s alleged attempt to hinder justice. Their skewed perspective does a great disservice to the concept of even-handed justice by overlooking Tarfa’s alleged anti-justice conduct and focusing on his detention that lasted almost 48 hours.

It is noteworthy that Tarfa was released to the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN), suggesting elite-circle solidarity. Would the NBA chief have been involved in the bail process if Tarfa wasn’t a SAN?

The solidarity of seniors was also demonstrated when Tarfa took the EFCC to court barely 24 hours after his release, demanding N2.5billion damages for unlawful arrest and detention. Tarfa was reportedly accompanied by 32 Senior Advocates led by former NBA President, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), to file the suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

What was the objective of this army of Senior Advocates on this journey to the court? If it needed 32 of them to help Tarfa file the suit, how many of them would be needed to help him achieve his aim? It would appear that the Senior Advocates were on a mission of intimidation.

It is reassuring that the EFCC is fighting back. The commission wants Tarfa tried for obstruction of justice and attempted perversion of justice. It was reported that he would also be arraigned for illegally and unethically communicating with a judge in a suit involving the EFCC and two companies.

More importantly, this is not just about Tarfa and his alleged misconduct.

EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu has urged the NBA to sanitize itself. Magu was quoted as saying during a meeting with of the NBA Executive: ”We must tell ourselves the truth: there are lawyers within the fold of the NBA, who ought not to be among your noble ranks. Those people are not fit to be called ministers; rather, they are vandals of the temple of justice.”

It is true that the temple of justice is desecrated by dishonorable behaviour.
http://saharareporters.com/2016/02/14/senior-lawyers’-unusual-solidarity-colleague-thenation-editorial

BY SONI DANIEL, NORTHERN REGION EDITOR FEB 14, 2016
Mr. Damian Dodo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, has told interrogators how five lawyers, who prosecuted multinational firms implicated in the $185 million Halliburton bribery scandal, were paid close to $26 million as legal fees. EFCC operatives Dodo, who was interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for over eight hours, last Thursday, said the five lawyers were duly engaged by the Federal Government to handle the case and bring culprits to book, having been indicted by their respective home countries. Dodo’s defense is contained in a response he made to the EFCC, a copy of which Sunday Vanguard obtained last night.

Meanwhile, EFCC operatives were said to be scrutinizing government s, last night, to ascertain where the refund was made. The four other lawyers involved in the case, it was also learnt, may be grilled by the anti-corruption agency. In his response to the EFCC, Dodo maintained that he and the four other lawyers carried out their job so successfully that the Federal Government, in appreciation, conferred on some of the legal team national honors.

The SAN explained that the five top lawyers involved in the prosecution of the companies reached an understanding with a former Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, to be paid from fines imposed on the indicted companies since he had complained that the Federal Government did not have a budget for their legal fees. He pointed out that they followed the precedent set in the case involving Pfizer and Kano State Government on one hand, and the Federal Government on the other, in which the drug manufacturing company was made to pay the legal fees of the lawyers involved in the amicable settlement of the matter.

In the response to the EFCC, it was stated that the legal team, raised by Adoke, was led by the then President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Joseph B. Daudu, with Mr. Emmanuel C. Ukala, Chief Godwin Obla, Roland Ewubare and Dodo as . The companies involved in the bribery scandal, and which opted for payment of heavy fines and non-prosecution by Nigeria, were: Halliburton Energy Services; Siemens AG; TSKJ, Technip of : Snamprogetti of Italy; Kellog, Brown and Roots of the U.S; Japan Gas Corporation; and Julius Berger, JB, which was accused of acting as a conduit for the illegal transfer of $5 million.

To avoid prosecution, JB immediately opted to pay a fine of $35 million to Nigeria and, accordingly, was left off the hook. The professional fee in respect of the settlement by JB was paid into the of JB Daudu and Co on behalf of the legal team. Siemens similarly opted for out of court settlement and paid €30,000,000 to the Nigerian government.

The legal fee from the company was paid into the of Godwin Obla of Obla and Co on behalf of the legal team. The settlement with Snamprogetti was reached by the legal team on December 10, 2010, and the sum of $30 million was recovered from the firm and paid into the of the Federal Government while the legal fees for the lawyers were paid into the of Godwin Obla for and on behalf of the team.

In the case of Halliburton Energy Services, the settlement attracted $32.5 million for the Federal Government while the legal fee went into the of D.D. Dodo and Co. for and on behalf of the team. Japan Gasoline Corporation attracted a settlement fine of $26.5 million for Nigeria and the legal fee for the settlement went into the of D.D.Dodo and Co. In the statement to EFCC, Dodo said,”But in all, the professional fees and costs due the legal team as received by the trio of J.B.Daudu, Godwin Obla and D.D.Dodo were disbursed to of the legal team as directed by their leader, J. B.Daudu.”

The statement went on: “It is worth pointing out that relevant agencies of government were involved in the settlement agreements including the offices of the National Security Adviser and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. “The Secretary of the EFCC, Mr. Emmanuel Akomaye, witnessed three of the agreements, namely, Snamprogetti,Halliburton and Japan Gasoline Corporation on behalf of the Federal Government.”

The senior lawyer defended the payments made to them, arguing that the fees were legal. Quoting clause six of the agreement reached with the Japan Gasoline Corporation, Dodo, said, “The Federal Government of Nigeria confirms that the reimbursement of the government legal costs to the designated counsel in the of the agreement is lawful under the Nigerian laws and regulations, and the government counsel has confirmed to the Federal Government of Nigeria that no proceeds of such reimbursement will be provided to any government officials”.

However, the EFCC, set to invite all the lawyers involved in the case separately for their statements, does not seem satisfied with the submission by Dodo. The anti-graft body, Sunday Vanguard discovered, is trying to ascertain how the lawyers arrived at the legal fee of ten percent and, if indeed, the $200 million said to have been recovered from the culprits, was remitted to the coffers of the Federal Government. EFCC in search of s

As at last night, the operatives were combing records to confirm which s of government the Halliburton fines were paid into and when. There were indications also that the former ministers and other top players in government linked with the matter may be invited to state their own side of the story. Irony of Halliburton case The irony in the case is that while the different countries, whose the multinational companies paid bribes to get major contracts for the construction of the LNG trains in Bonny Island in Rivers State, have since been convicted for bribery, Nigerian officials, who aided and abetted the scam, are still walking free and enjoying their loot.

The top officials are said to be wielding both political and economic power, thereby making it very difficult to bring them to trial. Most of them are said to have threatened to descend on the system if any move is made to prosecute them. But the current Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, has warned that the Halliburton case and other criminal cases have not been closed. Malami said that given the zero disposition of the Buhari istration, it would be impossible to close such cases.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/halliburton-185m-bribery-scandal-efcc-yet-to-locate-refund/