News

EFCC: After 97 days, court grants Dalori, MD Galaxy bail

Published

5 years ago

July 4, 2019

Eric

Justice Venchak Gaba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Kwali, has granted bail to the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Galaxy Transportation and Construction Services Ltd, Babagana Abba Dalori on the condition that he signs a N5 million bond.

Delivering ruling on the bail application filed by counsel to Dalori, Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN), on Wednesday, Justice Gaba also ordered the Galaxy Transportation Chief Executive to submit his international passport with the court.

The judge held that the defendant must provide two sureties with N5 million each. One of the sureties, according to the judge, must be resident in his personal house while the other must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

According to him, the essence of bail was to enable the defendant to prepare adequately for his defence, adding that an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

‘’I have gone through the processes before this court and all the provisions cited therein. When an accused person is arraigned before the court, he is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

‘’Bail issues are always at the discretion of the court. The essence of bail is to enable the defendant attend to proceedings and to enable him prepare adequately for his defence.

‘’In this light, I have exercised my discretion in granting the defendant bail in the sum of N5million and two sureties in like some. The defendant is to deposit his international passport in the custody of the court’’, he held.

Earlier, Gadzama, SAN, prayed the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms since he has never had any criminal record.

‘’The applicant has no criminal record. When the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited them, they submitted themselves voluntarily. If the application is granted, they will make themselves available for trial.

‘’ The defendant submitted themselves since March 29, 2019 and have been in incarceration since then. He has never interfered with the investigation and he will never interfere with the investigation’’, he said.

The EFCC, arraigned the 35-year-old Dalori alongside his Galaxy Transport and Construction Company on a one-count charge, bordering on obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) only from one Abubakar Hajara.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge, prompting the prosecution counsel, Maryam Aminu Ahmed to pray the court to remand the suspect in prison custody, pending the commencement of trial.

The one-count charge reads: “That you, Babagana Abba Dalori and Galaxy Transportation and Construction Services Limited, sometime in 2016 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N10,000,000.00) (Ten Million Naira) from one Abubakar Hajara under the false pretence that the money would be invested in the business of buying and selling of special trip(s) of excavated sand, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

News

Kaduna Assembly Sets Committee to Probe Former Gov El-Rufai

Published

60 mins ago

April 16, 2024

Eric

The Kaduna State House of Assembly has set up a fact-finding committee to probe all finances, loans and contract projects awarded under the former Governor Nasiru El-Rufai administration.

Governor Uba Sani, during a town hall meeting on Saturday, lamented the huge debt inherited from his predecessor, El-Rufai, on May 29, 2023.

Sani had said the state was left with a few amounts, not enough to pay salary, adding that his administration inherited a total of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the ex-governor.

“Despite the huge debt burden of 587 million dollars, 85 billion naira, and N115 billion in contractual liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.

“We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly,” the governor had said.

However, on Tuesday, the state’s Assembly set up a fact-finding committee during plenary, among others, to also investigate the former governor’s top associate and Senior Counsellor on Investment, Jimi Lawal.

Besides, the panel would probe financial dealings, loans and grants and other project implementation from 2015-2023.

The State Assembly also mandated the committee to invite notable personalities including the former speakers of the 8th and 9th Assembly, commissioners of finance, former Managing Directors of Kaduna Markets, and Commissioners of Budget and Planning, among others.

The Punch

News

National Grid Collapses Again, Nigeria in Total Blackout

Published

1 day ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The electricity national grid has collapsed again throwing the entire country into total blackout.

Some electricity distribution companies (DisCos), on Monday, confirmed the fresh collapse of the national grid, resulting in loss of power supply to their customers.

The grid experienced a fresh shutdown, and generation fell to 64.70 megawatts at 2:42 am on Monday, which was confirmed by officials of some of the DisCos.

According to an earlier report, the latest data from the Independent System Operator showed that the grid was generating 266.50mw of electricity from Okpai, Geregu and Ibom power.

Confirming the collapse in a statement, Jos DisCo said: “The current outage being experienced within our franchise States is a result of loss of power supply from the national grid. The loss of power supply from the national grid occurred in the early hours at about 0242 hours today, Monday, 15th April 2024, hence the loss of power supply on all our feeders.”

The company’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Dr Friday Adakole Elijah, expressed hope that the grid will be restored for normal power supply to its esteemed customers.

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), also confirmed the collapse in a statement titled “NOTICE OF TOTAL SYSTEM COLLAPSE”.

“The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) wishes to inform her esteemed customers of a total system collapse which occurred at 2:41 am today, 15th April 2024.

“This resulted in the loss of supply to all our interface TCN stations. Consequently, we were unable to provide service to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.

“However, the situation is gradually being resolved as we received the supply at Awada TCN station, Onitsha, at 7:30 am.

“We are in constant communication with the relevant authorities awaiting the full restoration of supply by the National Control Centre, NCC, Oshogbo. Thank you for your usual understanding and cooperation,”

A statement by Head, of Corporate Communications, EEDC, Emeka Ezeh said.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is yet to confirm the collapse as of press time.

News

Gunmen Abduct Channels TV Reporter in Rivers, Demand N30m

Published

4 days ago

April 12, 2024

Eric

Gunmen have kidnapped a journalist and reporter with Channels Television, Mr Joshua Rogers, at his residence in Rumuosi in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday night.

Rogers, who covers the Rivers State Government House for his organisation, was reportedly trailed after he closed from work to his residence.

The miscreants accosted him before he alighted from his car, pointed a gun at him and whisked him along with his vehicle off to an unknown destination at about 9 pm.

A source who said he doesn’t want his name mentioned said the reporter had earlier covered an event in Ndoni in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of the state where Governor Siminalayi Fubara, inaugurated a Primary Healthcare Centre.

The facility was built and donated to the state by the PAMO Educational Foundation, founded by former Rivers governor, Dr Peter Odili, on Thursday.

The source said, “Yes, he was kidnapped last night at his residence in Rumuosi and taken away in his car by some unknown gunmen.

“We are appealing to the kidnappers to release him immediately and unhurt. He is just a journalist doing his job and not a moneybags. So I don’t know the purpose of his kidnap.”

It was also gathered that the hoodlums had contacted his wife and demanded N30m as ransom before releasing him.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, for confirmation, were unsuccessful as she did not pick up several calls put across to her by The Punch.

Iringe-Koko has also yet to reply to a text message sent to her as of publication on Friday morning.

The Punch