1/12/2016 06:11:00 am
News.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC explained, yesterday, why it has not arrested former President Goodluck Jonathan following startling revelations on how the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki (retd) allegedly disbursed over $2.1 billion meant for arms purchase to various individuals.Explaining why the former president has not been arrested while speaking with online news publishers yesterday, in Lagos, the EFCC boss, Mr Ibrahim Magu said that no document has been traced to Jonathan giving any approval for the disbursement of the money for any purpose other than arms purchase.
He said that all those questioned so far in connection with the money were people who disbursed or collected it for reasons other than the purchase of arms and ammunition.
“All approvals by former president Jonathan did not mention that it was for political purposes.All the memos approved by him were for the purchase of arms,” he said.
Speaking about Olisa Metuh, the EFCC boss revealed that the national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party said he would rather go on hunger strike than refund the N400 million he allegedly collected from Dasuki.
12/23/2015 12:04:00 pm
News.
The Rivers State Police Command has admitted to killing a final year student of the University of Port Harcourt, Oghenekevwe Edah.
It was learnt that the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations), A.A. Muhammed, who delivered a condolence message to the deceased’s family on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo, promised that justice would be done in the matter.
This is just as the UNIPORT Student Union Government threatened to protest against the police over the recurring killing of students on the highway.
PUNCH Metro had reported on Tuesday that Oghenekevwe was returning from a church on Sunday and was standing at the Assemblies of God Church Junction, in the Alakahia area of Port Harcourt, when a police van driving against traffic hit him.
The police were said to have attempted escaping from the scene, but were held by passersby who compelled them to take the victim to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, where he died.
The police were said to have denied killing the victim, saying they only picked him from the road after he was knocked down by a vehicle.
However,it was learnt on Tuesday that the police had admitted to killing the student.
His younger brother, Emmanuel Edah, said Oghenekevwe’s death was painful to the family because he was their breadwinner.
He said, “I was in Delta State when one of his roommates called me and said he had been knocked down by a police van. I was told that he was coming from the church when the van hit him and the police wanted to reverse their vehicle to make it look as if they were on the right path, but people held them down and forced them to take him to the hospital.
“I got to the emergency ward of the hospital and I was told that he was dead.”
He said the victim’s roommate reported the matter at a police station and he later went to make an entry as well.
He said the police contacted them on Monday and the ACP promised to get justice for the victim.
He said investigation revealed that his brother was killed by a highway patrol vehicle.
Lamenting the death, Emmanuel said, “We are seven in my family and two of us are the only boys. For the past 15 years, he had been doing professional photography and event coverage. He took care of us with the money and use the rest for his education. We want justice and nothing less. We have decided to follow the case legally and not take laws into our own hands.”
The SUG President of UNIPORT, David Bariereka, said the students would stage a protest in the school.
He said, “We are not going to take it lightly with the police because we have discovered that he was killed by a highway patrol van and we have been able to trace the vehicle.
“We have asked our lawyer to take the matter up and soon, we will be having a protest to show that we will no longer condone this kind of thing. On January 1st, we also lost a student on that road. We are going to use this to remind the authorities that human life is very precious and we can no longer be killed like fowls.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, declined further comment on the case, saying the police wanted to conclude investigations.
“We want to conclude our investigations, so for now, we will not say anything again on the matter,” he said.
12/21/2015 11:33:00 am
News.
The Federal Government through its Ministry of State for Aviation has probed the use of ladder by Aero Contractors Airline in Bauchi.
The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, yesterday, Sunday gave an order that an investigation into the use of ladder by Aero.
“Several reports received by the Minister have indicated the airline used a ladder to disembark passengers from a Boeing 737 aircraft at the Bauchi airport on Saturday December 19th 2015.
“The act is inconsistent with Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, NCAR and International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, Standards and Recommended Practices, SARPS.
“The investigation will determine the immediate and remote causes of the incident with a view to developing and implementing measures that will prevent a re-occurrence of the unsafe and unacceptable procedure that exposed passengers to high risk of serious injury,” he said.
12/12/2015 12:10:00 pm
News.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has summoned a former militant leader in the Niger Delta, Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, over an allegation of fraud relating to the land acquired for the establishment of the Maritime University in Okerenkoko of Delta State.
EFCC’s letter of invitation asked Ekpemupolo to appear at the Lagos office of the anti-graft agency on December 17.
The letter dated December 9, 2015 was signed by Head of Operations of the Lagos office of the commission, Mr. Iliyasu Kwarbai.
The letter with reference number, CR:3000/EFCC/lS/CTGI/TF/STF/VOl.8/174 was titled, ‘Investigation Activities: Letter of Invitation.’
It read in part, “We refer to our letter no.CR:3000/EFCC/CTGI/TF/STF/VOL./472 dated 18th November, 2015 which was acknowledged in your house, but you did not report.
“In view of the above, you are reminded to kindly report for the interview as rescheduled below:
“Venue: EFCC Training Room,No.15A,Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
“Date: 17th December, 2015. Time: 1000hrs.
“Your cooperation in this regard is solicited, please.”
Sources said Ekpemupolo is being investigated over the payment of about N13bn purportedly paid to him by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency for the land acquired for the Maritime University.
Culled from Punch.
