Nigeria protests killing in Poland

    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia.

By Ifedayo Adebayo and Ayodele Okulaja

The permanent secretary of the ministry of foreign Affairs, Martin Uhomoibhi, yesterday met with the charge d'affaires of the Polish Embassy to formally protest the shooting to death of a Nigerian citizen in Warsaw, Poland on Sunday, May 23, 2010, by the Polish Police.
Mr Uhomoibhi expressed Nigeria's displeasure over the incident and the arrest of other 30 Nigerian citizens resident in Poland, which he said is a harassment aftermath of the killing.
According to him, instructions have been given to the Nigerian Ambassador in Poland to make a formal demarche to the Polish foreign ministry in protest of the killing. He equally called on the polish authorities to set up an inquiry into the incident, to ensure that all those found guilty are held accountable.
A tragedy
The charge d'affaires conveyed the condolences of the Polish government over the tragic incident which she described as unfortunate. She also disclosed that the Polish authorities were already investigating the matter and assured that the details and outcomes of the investigation will be communicated to the Nigerian government as soon it is resolved.
She also observed that the incident was not pre-planned, but a one-off incident that did not reflect the Polish government's policy or attitude towards Nigerian living in Poland. Nigerian-Poland relations have been cordial and built over years of cooperation in various fields of endeavour, she said, urging that this incident should not be allowed to soil the otherwise excellent relations between the two countries.

Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed that the unnamed citizen died after being shot on Sunday during a police raid on an open-air market in Warsaw.
"The ministry strongly believes that there can be no justification for this wanton killing of a Nigerian citizen," the ministry said in a statement.

"The killing without established culpability demonstrates the high-handedness on the part of the Polish police."
Unprovoked attack
Polish National Police spokesperson, Mariusz Sokolowski, said officers at the market chased after a Nigerian who ran away from them while they were on patrol. One of the officers threw the man to the ground and tried to handcuff him, but a group of foreigners attacked him, Mr Sokolowski said, claiming that the officer's handgun fired during the struggle, with the round striking the Nigerian.
"This man could have been saved and police officers started to resuscitate him, but they were repeatedly attacked with stones by a group of foreigners and were forced to defend themselves, and had to stop the resuscitation," Mr Sokolowski added.

He said six police officers were injured in the fighting and 32 foreigners were arrested.

Source: NEXT

Okigbo Report: FG Considers Action against Babangida

•Govt statement unambiguous, says IBB
By Chiemelie Ezeobi

The Federal Government may take legal action against former military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida if there is evidence to prove the allegation of mismanagement of $12.4 billion during his tenure.

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke (SAN) disclosed that a committee would be set up to review the allegations to see if a criminal charge could be sustained.
But the former president has described Adoke’s statement as “unambiguous”.

Adoke was responding to a petition by a coalition of civil society groups, asking the government to implement recommendations of the Dr. Pius Okigbo report by prosecuting Babangida.

Allegations of corruption and mismanagement of $12.4 billion in a Dedicated and Special Accounts while he was in office should be probed, the groups stated.

A letter by Adoke dated 12th May 2010 with reference number HAGF/PG/2010/Vol1 said: “I acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated 5th May 2010.

 I appreciate your effort in making available a signed copy of the Dr. Pius Okigbo Panel Report, and as appropriate, I shall set up a Committee that will confirm the authenticity of the said report and also review the allegations and recommendations contained therein with a view to ascertaining whether these allegations can sustain a criminal charge.

 While we shall keep you informed of our effort in this regard, I would like to thank you for your concerted effort in sustaining the fight against corruption in our society.”

Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accoun-tability Project (SERAP), Adetokunbo Mumuni, reacted to the AGF’s statement thus: “While we prepare a detailed response to the letter by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, we would like to welcome the clear commitment of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan to prosecute the former military president on the basis of the strong and compelling evidence contained in the Okigbo report.”

Mumuni urged the government to accelerate the process of investigating and prosecuting the case. He argued that if the case was pursued to a logical conclusion, it would show that the government could do things differently.
“This would also provide effective remedy for the countless victims of high level official corruption in the country,” he added.

Mumuni continued: “We urge the Honourable Attorney General to involve the civil society and the United Nations in the work of the committee to ensure that justice is not only done but seen to be done. We stand ready to offer full support and assistance to the authorities in the prosecution of suspected perpetrators of the $12.4bn scam.”

The groups that send the petition are: SERAP; Women Advocates and Documentation Centre (WARDC); Access to Justice, AJ; Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR); Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC); Partnership for Justice (PFJ); Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA); Nigeria Liberty Forum (NLF); Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS); and Centre for the Rule of Law (CFR).

The petition by the groups was signed by Adetokunbo Mumuni; Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Director, WARDC; Joseph Otteh, Executive Director, AJ; Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director, CISLAC; Kayode Ogundamisi, Convener, NLF; Olanrewaju Suraju, Head, HEDA; Olasupo Ojo, President, CDHR; Itoro Eze-Anaba, Managing Partner, PFJ; Moshood Erubami, President, VOTAS; and Tejumade Oke, Programme Director, CFR.

Adoke had requested a signed copy of the Okigbo Report when the groups sent the petition. He promised to act on it when he receives it

In a letter dated 5th May 2010, they sent the 352-page original report. They also quoted parts of the report which described the management of resources at the time.

“The Dedication and Special Accounts had become a parallel budget for the Presidency. The decision as to what expenditure items to be financed out of these dedicated accounts was made by the President alone. For example, the accounts had been utilized to defray aim assortment of expenses that could not in any way be described as priority such as: $2.92 million to make Documentary Film on Nigeria: $18.30 million to purchase TV/Video for the Presidency; $23.98 million for Staff Welfare in the Presidency; $.99 million for travels of the First Lady abroad; and $59.72 million for security,” the Okigbo report stated.

“The approved budget for the Federation did not reflect the receipts into the Dedication and other Special Accounts; that the balances kept in these accounts were not included in the Federation Account, a practice which violated the fundamental precepts of the federal fiscal relations in Nigeria, and that in a number of cases, there were significant variations between the amounts approved for payment and the actual disbursements made, without any further explanation from the documents supplied,” the report added.

The Dr. Pius Okigbo Panel set up under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, had raised questions on how the oil windfall during Babangida’s tenure was managed.
IBB promptly responded to the Federal Government through his Spokesman Kassim Afegbua.

“What the Attorney General said in his response to the petition is unambiguous; that the government will try to ascertain whether that is the true copy of the Okigbo report. The whole concept of civil society organisations bringing signed copy[ies] of a Federal Government Report to government raises a lot of curiosity and mischief on the part of the civil societies. I have not seen a situation where a government will set up a panel, only for report to be given to it [government] by unknown bodies.

“Despite all the clear cut attempts to rubbish the good name of General Babangida by this gang of sinuous fawns who want to play the 'angelic' role as civil societies, I am yet to find anywhere in the whole wide world where these organisations have rendered account of their own grants from foreign countries in the years of their existence. This is our challenge to all of them,” Afegbua said.

 Source: Thisday Newpaper

N800m Stolen at THISDAY

THISDAY Newspapers has lost over N800 million to fraudsters in the employ of the company.


The fraud was perpetrated through the collaboration of Accounting, Audit and Circulation sales staff over the last one year.

The police have arrested seven of the suspects, while two of the ringleaders – Messrs Dirisu Andrew Eshorame from Okpella in Edo State and Sola Popoola from Okemesi in Ekiti State - are at large.

Dirisu was the newspaper’s Kakawa, Lagos Island, Sales Representative, while Popoola was its Sales Auditor at the Account Department.

The fraud was carefully carried out by the suspects who had been stealing the organisation’s newspaper sales proceeds using fake bank tellers.

In a petition to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Apapa Police Station, Apapa, Lagos, the organisation’s Managing Director, Mr. Eniola Bello, said: “On Wednesday April 28, 2010 a routine check of the account where our newspaper sales are deposited in GTBank showed some discrepancy in what was sold and what was actually paid in from our Kakawa sales point.”

Bello explained that on getting a query about the discrepancy in the payment, Dirisu quickly paid N1 million two days after he should have deposited the money into the account.

Also, Dirisu, Popoola and others paid another N10.8 million, triggering suspicion by senior management.

The suspicion led to investigation which uncovered massive fraud, showing that they had been stealing between N10 - N20 million per week by using fake bank tellers.

Furthermore, it was discovered that in Lagos Island alone, N175 million has been stolen from Kakawa sales point since January this year.

Bello therefore requested the police to assist the newspaper in apprehending Popoola, whose last known address was 9 Idowu Williams Street, Off Toyin Bus Stop, Agbado Road Iju Ishaga, Lagos.

In addition, the paper’s MD asked the police to apprehend Dirisu whose last known address was 30 Ogunbowale Street, Ilasamaja Lagos.

Bello added that THISDAY believes that both Popoola and Dirisu are in a good position to name others involved in the fraud.

The MD also called on members of the public who have information about the suspects to furnish the police with same.

Meanwhile, up to seven accounting and sales staff have been arrested and are currently facing questions.


Source: Punch

Child marriage: NAPTIP quizzes Sani, ex-Zamfara governor

By Oluwole Josiah and Friday Olokor





The National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other-Related Matters on Tuesday interrogated Senator Ahmed Sani on his marriage to an Egyptian minor.

The agency had earlier summoned Sani to appear before it to answer questions on his involvement in the marriage allegedly in contravention of the Child Rights Act.

The former Zamfara State Governor arrived in the Wuse Zone 5 headquarters of the NAPTIP at about 9.45am in a black Toyota Aurion Grande, wearing white babariga with a red cap to match. He was accompanied by some of his aides and supporters.

He was said to have faced NAPTIP interrogators for over three hours, responding to questions relating to the marriage of the minor, reported to be 13 years.

Sani was, however, granted bail on personal recognition after he made a statement in writing, and subsequently signed an undertaken to report back to the agency on June 17, 2010.

It was, however, gathered that during the interrogation, the former governor, told the NAPTIP officials that age was not a consideration for a marriage under Islamic law.

He was said to have been reminded that he contracted the marriage in Abuja where the Child Right Act was in force.

A source close to the agency said that the former governor, in his response, alluded to the constitution, arguing that it guaranteed the freedom of religion and that Islam permitted him to marry the girl.

He was said to have also declined to tell the real age of the girl in spite of pressure on him to do so, since he had repeatedly denied that she was not 13.

The former governor, who is a member of the Senate, also denied seeing the international travelling documents of the girl to ascertain her age.

The source added that when asked why he did not conduct the marriage in Egypt, Sani replied that he did it in Nigeria for the convenience of his family members and his friends.

According to the source, the senator added that it was untrue that he was trying to avoid Egyptian laws.

Speaking to journalists shortly after his release, Sani said he was not worried at the turn of events because he had not broken any known law in Islam.

He maintained that Section 38 of the 1999 Constitution guaranteed the freedom of religion to all Nigerians.

Sani said, “The Child Right Act they are talking about was brought to me in Zamfara as a governor; my people rejected it so also other states in the North. It was rejected by the Zamfara State House of Assembly because it is against the Islamic religion.”

The Executive Secretary of NAPTIP, Mr. Simon Egede, said the agency invited the senator following a series of petitions against his marriage to the teenager.

He disclosed that the agency was on top of the investigation and that it had established that Egyptian law forbids marriage to an under age.

Egede said the investigation into the matter was neither politically-motivated nor influenced by religion.

He said, “It is purely within our mandate having received petitions from so many interest groups.

“We are in touch with the Egyptian authorities, we know it is illegal in Egypt and we do not need to get to Egypt before we get the age of the girl. Within the federal capital, there is a law against marriage to a minor and the law is no respecter of any person.”

According to him, the agency would soon conclude its investigations on the matter and all Nigerians would know what really the issues are.

On why the senator was not detained, the Executive Secretary said it was because he willingly turned himself in to the agency.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission has commended NAPTIP for interrogating the former governor over his marriage to the Egyptian minor.

The commission, in a statement by its Executive Secretary, Mr. Roland Ewubare, on Tuesday, said NAPTIP’s action demonstrated that impunity had no place under the current dispensation in the country.

The NHRC also commended President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, for their efforts at entrenching a culture of respect for the laws of the nation.

Ewubare said, “The NHRC also commends the exceptional courage and initiative of the Executive Secretary of NATIP, Mr. Egede, for trying to bring Senator Sani to book. The NHRC fully identifies with NAPTIP in this regard and is prepared to partner and collaborate actively with the agency in addressing the human rights issues raised by the actions of the senator.”



Source: Punch

Ibori in fresh trouble as MET police give EFCC conviction records

By Toyosi Ogunseye


Strong indications emerged on Saturday that the former Delta State governor, James Ibori, may be in fresh trouble as the Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom have given the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission court records and documents of his alleged conviction in the UK.

SUNDAY PUNCH also gathered that the Police in Dubai, United Arab Emirate have seized the former governor‘s travelling documents.

This is coming on the heels of the trip of a team of operatives from the EFCC and the MET Police to the United Arab Emirates on Friday. The EFCC team comprising lawyers, it was learnt, also went to Dubai with Ibori‘s case file and other documents to hasten the former governor‘s extradition to Britain.

Our correspondent learnt that the EFCC is planning to use Ibori‘s alleged record of conviction as one of the charges against him during his prosecution in the United Kingdom.

A security source said, ”His previous criminal conviction in the United Kingdom is definitely one of the charges against him because he lied on oath and obtained under false pretence the salary of government for eight years.

“A convict should not be a governor but he deceived the people and used his position to collect remuneration that he shouldn‘t have gotten. His travelling documents had to be seized to prevent him from sneaking out like he did in Nigeria.”

According to the source, security operatives and embassy officials are watching the ex-governor round the clock.

She said, ”We have security agents and embassy officials monitoring him. The Dubai police have assured us that he will not sneak out of their country. They assured us that they only granted him bail but he is still under ‘strict surveillance and restriction.”

Our correspondent gathered that security operatives from Nigeria, Britain and Dubai will start the extradition process on Monday.

The source said, ”The legal process of extraditing him will begin on Monday. You know that courts don‘t work on weekends. By Monday, all members of the investigating teams from Nigeria and Britain will all be in Dubai, then we will be in court to start the extradition proceedings.”

Explaining the importance of the MET Police in Dubai, the source said, “Even though we have a heap of evidence against him, there is no treaty between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates even though the treaty is under way. We are working with the MET police because the United Kingdom and Dubai have this treaty. They are the only ones that can get him for us.”

It was also learnt that after the former governor‘s extradition, he will face charges in Britain before returning to Nigeria. She added, ”When he gets to the UK, he will face all the charges he has pending before him in their court which will not take more than one month. If he is sentenced, he will not immediately serve the sentence. Ibori will be brought back to Nigeria where he will be made to face the charges here. If he is also sentenced in Nigeria, he will serve the sentence before going back to fulfil that of Britain.”

When contacted, the EFCC head, Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said, “All I can tell you is that our operatives have left for Dubai. We are all aware that he refused to turn himself in and thwarted all efforts by the EFCC to arrest him.

“We also know that he has a pending case in Nigeria which we cannot abandon mid way. The EFCC promises to continue with this matter using all the tools in our arsenal and bringing it to a logical conclusion.”

Ibori was last Thursday arrested in Dubai by the International Police after he was declared wanted by the anti-graft agency four weeks ago, in connection with an alleged illegal disposal of 528 million shares belonging to Delta State in Oceanic Bank.

Ibori who has maintained that he was being persecuted due to his political belief, accused his enemies in Nigeria and their UK co-conspirators of framing up the charges against him.

Source: punch

Halliburton: Obasanjo should be tried – Falana

By Gbenga Adeniji


Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, on Saturday, called for the urgent trial of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other Nigerians named in the Halliburton scandal, saying their prosecution would remove the dent which the issue had left on the image of the country.

Falana stated this in Lagos while delivering a lecture, ‘‘Civil society and the challenges of anti-corruption struggle in Nigeria‘‘ at the 50th birthday ceremony of the chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran.

He said, ‘‘Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, one of the three ex-Heads of State alleged to have received part of the $180m bribe is a leading adviser to the Goodluck Jonathan administration. He and some of the other suspects have not been interrogated. Yet, all the foreign officials indicted in the Halliburton scandal, Willbros and Daimler AG have been convicted by district courts in the United States, while they have paid fines of not less than $1b to the US Government via plea bargaining for bribing Nigerian officials. Those who have used their privileged positions to smear the image of the country should be rounded up and charged to court without any further delay.‘‘

Falana added that Nigerians deserved explanations on what happened to the accrued oil revenue of $12.4b which ‘got missing‘ during the regime of the despot, Ibrahim Babangida, remarking that every patriotic Nigerian would expect accountability for the oil money.

Also, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri who spoke through the commission‘s head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, pledged the agency‘s commitment to ensuring corruption-free Nigeria.

Speaking, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere Renewal Group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, lamented that some of those who fought for the enthronement of democracy in the country had abandoned the struggle even as he urged CACOL to remain firm in its resolve to demand the right thing at all times.



Source: Punch