One 38-year-old health worker, Abusufiyan Musa, has been remanded in the Correctional Centre by an Adamawa Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Yola for allegedlly defrauding a Senator of the sum of 15.5 million naira.
The Defendant was alleged to have induced one Sen. Ahmed Barata to invest N17.6 million in the business of sale and supply of drugs in October 2021 and diverted the money to his personal use.
The Defendant who is a staff of General Hospital Uba in Borno State, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
The prosecutor led by Inspector Iliya Akawu, urged the court to accordinglly remand the Defendant in the Correctional Centre to enable the Police conclude investigation.
Presiding Chief Magistrate Abdullahi Muhammed Digil, consequently, remanded the Defendant as prayed and ordered the police to continue with their investigation and adjourned the case to February 28, 2022 for hearing.
The nominal complaint, Sen. Ahmed Barata, was a House of Representatives member representing Guyuk/Shelleng Federal Constituency of Adamawa State between 1999 and 2011, and later in the Senate between 2011 and 2015 for Adamawa South Zone.
The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered the closure of all satellite units of the Intelligence Response Team and Special Tactical Squad across the country.
The order may not be unconnected with the arrest of the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police and Head, Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force, Abba Kyari and others by Police authorities and handing them over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for alleged drug related issues.
Officers serving in the satellite units have also been directed to report to the Force Headquarters, Abuja for debriefing.
Management of the Force Headquarters also directed that the IRT/STS Headquarters in Abuja be fortified and organised to enhance operational performance with a view to combat emerging trends.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has condemned the strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), even as has stated that Nigerian students will hold a statewide rally to express their discontent.
NANS President, Asefon Sunday, in a statement, expressed disappointment over the four-week strike action announced by the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Emmanuel Osodeke on monday.
The statement christened, “ASUU Warning Strike: A Reckless Irresponsibility”, signed by the NANS President, came hard on the Federal Government and the ASUU leadership for failing to reach an amicable resolution to their differences without resorting to strike action.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday announced a four-week strike following the Federal Government’s failure to meet its demands.
National President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, in a press conference at the University of Lagos, Akoka, disclosed that since the last meeting the union had with the Federal Government in December 2021, it had not received any formal invitation from government.
A Magistrate Court in Kaduna State, has remanded one 21-year-old tailor, Gado Yahaya, in the custody of the Correctional Centre, for allegedly killing his neighbour during a quarrel over a bucket of water.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo, alleged that the Defendant killed one Liman Salisu with a pestle during a fight over a bucket of water.
It was also alleged that the Defendant dashed into the kitchen, picked up a pestle and hit the deceased on his head and he slumped but died on the way to the hospital, an offence which contravened Section 190 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.
The Presiding Magistrate, by Ibrahim Emmanuel, accordinglly remanded the Defendant and directed that his case file be forwarded to the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP),for legal advice, while the case was adjourned to March 9, 2022, for mention.
A Tinubu coalition group has insisted that the APC National Leader is health, describing the viral video and photographs of Tinubu in a wet dress as the handiwork of mischief-makers.
A statement signed by the group’s Director of Media and Publicity, Biodun Ajiboye, described the claim as false and a malicious move by haters of the Jagaban to discredit a successful meeting between Tinubu and the traditional rulers.
“This time it is that he wetted his dress!”
“Assuming without conceding that is the case, so is it the back of his knees that would be wet and not the bum area? So if he wetted his babariga, he would not cover it and would still move to be flat to greet the Awujale of Ijebuland in the full glare of everyone present?”
“It was the usual photoshop manipulations and shallow mental agility that pushed them to dispense a feeble narrative that made no iota of sense.”
“Yet as their video showed, it was after their wetting incident that he went ahead and prostrated to Kabiyesi.”
“We want to assure Nigerians that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is healthy and strong enough to undertake the responsibilities involved in the expected rigours of campaigns and politicking when the time comes.”
Tinubu, on Sunday, visited the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, and some other top traditional rulers in Ogun state in continuation of his consultations, and thereafter, the social media was awash with a video of a wet dress around his lower region.
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari and four other Police Officers for involving in an alleged case of criminal conspiracy, discreditable, unethical, unprofessional conduct, official corruption and tampering with exhibits in a case of illicit drug trafficking involving a transnational drug cartel.
The arrest of Kyari and others came after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) declared him wanted on Monday.
Acting Police Spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi said, “Inline with standard administrative procedure of the Force, the Inspector General of Police ordered a high-level, discreet, and in-house investigation into the allegations,”
The Acting Force Public Relations Officer, disclosed that the arrest of two suspects led to the recovery of a substantial quantity of powdery substance suspected to be cocaine from the two narcotic couriers.
According to him, the operation, undertaken by a Unit of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT),was intelligence-driven.
Adejobi stated that the interim investigations report revealed that two international drug couriers identified as Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus, were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu on January 19, 2022, upon their arrival from Addis Ababa aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET917.
He said the case and the two suspects were subsequently transferred to the NDLEA on January 25, 2022 and the findings of the in-house investigation ordered by the Inspector General of Police established reasonable grounds for strong suspicion that the IRT officers involved in the operation could have been involved in some underhand and unprofessional dealings as well as official corruption which compromised ethical standards in their dealings with the suspects and exhibits recovered.
“Beyond this, the Police investigation also established that the international narcotics cartel involved in this case have strong ties with some officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu who are on their payroll.”
“The two arrested drug couriers confirmed that the modus is for the transnational drug barons to conspire with the NDLEA officers on duty and send them their pre-boarding photographs for identification, seamless clearance, and unhindered passage out of the airport with the narcotics being trafficked.”
“The two arrested drug couriers also confirmed that they have been enjoying this relationship with the NDLEA officers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport since 2021 and had in this instant case of January 19, 2022, been identified and cleared by the NDLEA officers as customary, having received their pre-departure photographs and other details prior to their arrival in Enugu, and were on their way out with the narcotics when they were apprehended by the Police.”
“The Police investigations report also indicted DCP Abba Kyari, who had been on suspension for his alleged involvement in a different fraud case being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), for complicity in the allegation of official corruption, tampering with narcotics exhibit and sundry unprofessional conducts that negate the standard administrative and investigative protocols of the Force as well as extant criminal laws.”
“On the strength of the findings of the in-house Police Investigation Panel, the Inspector-General of Police has ordered the immediate arrest and transfer of all the indicted police officers to the NDLEA authorities for conclusive investigation, while appropriate disciplinary actions are also being initiated against them by the Force leadership.”
“The concerned officers include DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday Ubuah, ASP Bawa James, ASP John Umoru (at large), Inspector. Simon Agrigba and John Nuhu. They have all been, accordingly, handed over today, February 14, 2022 to the NDLEA authorities.”
“In so doing, the Inspector General of Police has also formally requested that the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency should ensure the identification, arrest and investigation of the Agency’s officers who have also been found to be colluding with the international drug cartel involved in this case towards advancing the anti-narcotics agenda of the federal government.”
“The Inspector-General of Police assures the public of his administration’s commitment to upholding the tenets and values of policing in line with the agenda of ethical regeneration, restoration of professional standard, enhancement of the anti-corruption drive, respect for the rule of law and inter-agency collaboration in the drive to stabilise the internal security order of the country,” the Acting Force Public Relations Officer stated.
NDLEA said it has invited Kyari for questioning since concluding its investigation but the suspended police chief did not respond, hence, he was consequently declared wanted by the NDLEA.
The lid of DCP Abba Kyari’s alleged involvement, was blown open during his suspension from service.
Kyari was suspended by the police after United States’ FBI indicted him in the fraud case of a popular fraudster, Ramon Abbas, known as Hushpuppi.
United State authorities alleged that Kyari was a conspirator with Hushpuppi in a $1.1 million deal to defraud a Qatari businessman.
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has remanded a serving member of the House of Representatives, Gabriel Zock, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over alleged N185 million fraud.
The House of Representatives member, who represents Kachia Kagarko Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, was alleged to have in 2015, defrauded one Adeyemi Kamar to the tune of 185 million naira, in two installment of 150 million and 35 million naira respectively, under the pretext of assisting him to influence the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to secure Right of Occupancy (R of O) for his property at Guzape area of Abuja.
The Lawmaker had no legal representation upon his arraignment before the Court and the trial Judge, Hon. Justice Halilu Yusuf, appointed Adebara Adeniyi as counsel for him for the purpose of arraignment and bail.
He however, pleaded not guilty, to the charges read to him and the trial Judge ordered that the Federal Lawmaker be remanded in the custody of the Prosecuting Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and adjourned hearing of his bail application to February 16, 2022.
EFCC’s counsel, Maryam Ahmed, earlier urged the court to remand the federal lawmaker in Correctional Centre, pending the hearing and determination of his bail application which was already filed by another lawyer on February 9, emphasizing that it was not ripe for hearing, moreso, she needed time to study and respond to fundamental issues raised in the motion for bail.
The alleged offences are contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
Three Policemen who were on a stop-and-search duty along Timber Junction close to the popular Cashew Bus Stop, Independence Layout in Enugu State, have been allegedlly killed by unknown gunmen.
Sources disclosed that the unknown gunmen fired several into the air before killing the policemen and thereafter, abducted a yet-to-be identified woman and a driver, with many others sustaining various injuries while the pandemonium lasted.
The source added that one of the policemen, however, escaped being killed by the gunmen.
Enugu State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, said Information surrounding the incident were still sketchy, emphasizing that the Police initiated manhunt for the hoodlums.
A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has remanded two teenagers in the cirrectional centre, for 30 days, for alleged attempted murder related charges.
The Defendants; Afolabi Oluwatimilehin, 19, and Mustapha Kehinde, 19, on February 2, 2022 in Ikere Ekiti conspired and attempted to murder one 23-year-old commercial sex worker, contrary to Sections 516 and 320 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
The Prosecutor, Inspector Oriyomi Akinwale, urged the Court to remand the Defendants to allow the police conclude their investigation and forward the duplicate case file to the office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), for legal advice.
Presiding Chief Magistrate, Bankole Oluwasanmi, accordinglly remanded the 1st and 2nd Defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ado Ekiti and be remanded there for a period of 30 days and adjourned the matter to March 10, 2022 for mention.
Veteran actor, romanus Amuta, popularly known as “Natty”
Nigerian actor ‘Natty’ of New Masquerade fame dies at 79
Veteran actor, Romanus Amuta, popularly known as ‘Natty’ in the foremost soap, ‘New Masquerade,’ is dead.
‘The New Masquerade’ was a Nigerian sitcom that aired on the Nigerian television network from the 1980s until the mid-1990s. It was created and written by James Iroha, who also acted in Giringori Akabogu.
Mr Amuta died on Wednesday at the age of 79 after a protracted sickness.
The first son of the deceased, Chukwuma Amuta, confirmed the death of the veteran Nollywood actor in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.
Mr Amuta described the actor as a caring father who did his best to raise his children.
“Yes! My father died this morning in Lagos after a protracted illness,” he said.
NAN reports that the deceased hailed from Ukana in the Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State.
He worked with Daily Times Newspapers before venturing into the movie Industry.
He also acted in some Nollywoodmovies, including ‘Lion Finger’ in 2003, ‘Eagles Bride’ in 2005, and ‘Ijele’ in 1999.
His flourishing career suffered a setback after he had a stroke in 2009.
At the time, rumours suggesting he had died swirled on numerous occasions, but his family dismissed the claims.
In 2014, his son had refuted such a claim.
“I am surprised to hear such a fallacious rumour. It is true that my dad had a stroke some five years ago, that is, 2009. Presently, he is clinically stable, and he is recovering well,” he had said.
He is survived by his wife, Cordelia, and six children.
In March 2017, Veronica Njoku, famous for her role as Ramota in ‘The New Masquerade,’ passed away. The late Njoku played Chief Jegede’s (played by Claude Eke) wife and a close ally of Ovuleria. (NAN)
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