Headline

Fani-Kayode, Babangida, Others Make Fresh List of Looters by FG

Published

7 years ago

April 2, 2018

Eric

The Federal Government on Sunday released a fresh list containing 23 names of alleged looters.

It said the list of alleged looters which it released on Friday was based on verifiable facts, including the amount involved, the date the amount was collected and from where it was taken.

The names released on Friday were the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, who allegedly collected N200m from the office of the former National Security Adviser.

Secondus had, however, denied the allegation and gave Mohammed 72 hours to retract the statement and also pay him N1.5b as damages.

Others included a former PDP Financial Secretary (N600m).

The rest were a former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh, who is on trial for allegedly collecting N1.4b from NSA office; Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, who is on trial for taking N2.1bn from NSA; and a former SSA to President Jonathan, Dudafa Waripamo-Owei, who is on trial over N830m kept in accounts of four different companies

The last was former President Jonathan’s Cousin, Robert Azibaola, who was said to have collected $40m from NSA office.

While releasing a fresh list of alleged looters in Lagos on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement said the Friday’s list “was strategically released as a teaser.”

He said, ‘’At the press conference where the list was released, I did say it was a tip of the iceberg… the Federal Government has a large number of alleged looters on its list.”

The minister said the PDP’s reaction to the looters’ list has shown that its recent apology was an election-induced act, to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians to vote for the party in the 2019 general elections.

Mohammed said, “The hysterical and panicky reaction from the PDP has shown that the party is not sincere about its choreographed apology. Were it not the case, the party would have followed in the footsteps of one of its leaders, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, who simply owned up to his role in the party’s rigging in the past elections and said he had turned a new leaf.

Mohammed said the Federal Government would neither be intimidated nor blackmailed into silence, adding that it would not rest until all those who looted the public treasury had been brought to justice.

Releasing the fresh list, the minister said based on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s investigation, N126bn, $1.5bn and £5.5m were allegedly embezzled through Sambo Dasuki office as the NSA.

The amounts, it alleged, were apart from the ongoing $2.1bn military equipment scandal.

Mohammed further alleged that a former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, “in just one of the cases the EFCC is investigating involving her; about N23bn is alleged to have been embezzled. She is also involved in the Strategic Alliance Contracts of the NNPC, where the firms of Jide Omokore and Jide Aluko got oil blocks, but never paid government taxes and royalty. About $3bn was involved. The Federal Government is charging Omokore and Aluko and will use all legal instruments, local and international, to ensure justice.”

He said the EFCC allegedly recovered N13.9bn and N4.8bn from an ex-army chief, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah (retd.) in cash and property.

Other names on the list are Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (alleged N4.5bn; N29m recovered by the EFCC); Alex Barde, a former Chief of Defence Staff, accused of stealing N8bn (EFCC recovered almost N4bn in cash and property); Inde Dikko, a former Comptroller General, Customs, accused of taking N40bn (N1.1bn recovered in cash and property).

The Federal Government also named Air Marshal Adesola Amosun, who allegedly got N21.4bn (N2.8bn recovered in cash; 28 property and three vehicles recovered); Senator Bala Abdulkadir, a former FCT Minister, who allegedly collected N5bn (interim forfeiture order on some property allegedly secured); Senator Stella Oduah, who allegedly got N9.8bn (interim forfeiture order on some property secured).

The statement read further, “A former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu took N1.6bn from the NSA, while Senator Jonah Jang, a former Plateau State Governor got N12.5bn.

“Bashir Yuguda, a former Minister of State for Finance got N1.5bn, but $829,800 has been recovered.”

The government also named Senator Peter Nwaboshi (N1.5bn), Aliyu Usman, a former Dasuki’s aide at NSA (N512m); Ahmad Idris, a former Dasuki’s Personal Assistant (N1.5bn); Rasheed Ladoja, a former Oyo State governor (N500m); and Tom Ikimi, N300m.

Others are Femi Fani-Kayode (N866m), Hassan Tukur, former PPS to President Jonathan ($1.7m); Nenadi Usman (N1.5bn), Benedicta Iroha (N1.7bn), Aliyu Usman Jawaz, an ally of Dasuki (N882m) and Godknows Igali (N7bn).”

The Punch

Headline

For Condemning Tinubu’s Emergency Rule in Rivers, Presidency Dismisses Atiku, Peter Obi, Amaechi, Others As Disgruntled Politicians

Published

1 hour ago

March 21, 2025

Eric

The Presidency, on Thursday, described former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, the former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and the former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi as disgruntled politicians that don’t have the interest of the masses at heart.

Reacting to the recent regrouping of some politicians including the former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, who reportedly formed a coalition against President Bola Tinubu in 2027, the Presidency described them as “a frustrated lot”.”

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said President Tinubu is focused on governance to build a prosperous country.

According to him: “He (Tinubu) is on the way to achieving this. Two months to his midterm, he has many solid achievements to showcase. Intractable problems are being tackled headlong.

“He cannot be distracted by the so-called coalition of politicians. They are not politicians after the public Good. It’s all about their self-interest.

“They are disgruntled. They are a frustrated lot. The leaders are sore losers. The coalition is an amalgam of Tinubu haters. Their agenda is to stop Tinubu.”

Headline

Senate Approves Tinubu’s Emergency Rule in Rivers, Sack of Governor, Elected Officers

Published

19 hours ago

March 20, 2025

Eric

Like the House of Representatives, the Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State, invoking its constitutional powers under the amended 1999 Constitution.

The approval grants President Tinubu the authority to enforce emergency measures while mandating a review of the situation at any time, but no later than six months.

Per the Constitution, the National Assembly has also imposed a joint committee of both chambers to oversee the administration of affairs in Rivers State during the emergency period.

Additionally, the Senate has resolved to establish a mediation committee consisting of eminent Nigerians to help resolve the state’s political crisis.

Just like the Senate, the House of Representatives had earlier approved Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers.

In a voice vote, the lawmakers backed Tinubu’s decision, two days after President Tinubu made the move.

Two hundred and forty House of Representative members attended the preliminary which was presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

While deliberating on the decision, the House made some amendments including that a committee of eminent Nigerians will set up to mediate on the matter.

They also noted that the National Assembly is empowered to make law for a state where its house of assembly is unable to perform its functions as against the Federal Government’s plan for the Federal Executive Council to take up that duty.

President Bola Tinubu during the swearing-in of Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (rtd) as sole administrator for Rivers State in Abuja on March 19, 2025

On Tuesday, President Tinubu wielded the big hammer in Rivers State, declaring a state of emergency in the state. He also suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara; his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months and appointed a sole administrator to take charge of the state in a move that has triggered a wave of criticisms.

Legal experts, governors, and prominent Nigerians like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi to name a few have condemned the proclamation, demanding a reversal.

However, the Federal Government has doubled down on Tinubu’s decision and argued that it was needed to bring peace to the oil-rich state.

Headline

Resist Tinubu’s Emergency Rule in Rivers, Atiku Tells Nigerians

Published

23 hours ago

March 20, 2025

Eric

A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has called on Nigerians to stand up and defend the country’s democracy by resisting the state of emergency imposed in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku made the remarks during a press conference of concerned political leaders, on Thursday in Abuja.

He said it is not only the responsibility of the opposition parties to defend democracy but the duty of everyone to reject the “brazen assault” on the elected government in Rivers.