Looting: We‘ll soon go after banks— EFCC chair Magu

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ibrahim Magu vowed yesterday  that the agency would  go after banks being used for the looting of the nation’s treasury and money laundering.

He asked the  Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop private banking in the country and pledged the determination of his team to give corruption a brutal fight.

Magu was reported by the agency’s in-house magazine, Alert, as telling  Channels Television in an interview that the era was gone when treasury looters kept their money under the guise of private banking.

He said  there was no more hiding place for banks to be  used by corrupt public officials and fraudsters.

He said: “We are not only going after the personnel of banks, we are also going after the banks. What happens is that when a staff of the bank is involved in such activities, what the bank does is to take the person out of the system through dismissal.

“But now, we are going to go after the banks and the personnel used to perpetrate the fraud. It takes two to tango. In fact, very soon, you will see us going after the managing directors of the banks.

“We don’t care what happens because the right thing has to be done because they have given a lot of room for money laundering activities to thrive. They were used to hide all the stolen money.”

On private banking, he said the EFCC has advised the CBN to stop it in all banks.

“We had a discussion with the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and I insisted that this so-called private banking should be stopped. It is illegal; it is wrong.”

On repatriation of stolen funds, the EFCC chairman said: “Of course, we are working with all the law enforcement agencies- the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the NCA, the Swiss Police and the Italians as well and many other people.

“There are requirements you must enter- the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) – with other countries. We are following the money and we will get them back very soon. But it has to be done within the law.

“There are procedures and they are really tedious. But there is an improvement because these countries are willing to issue warrant; they are willing to restrain any account we point  out. They are willing to also release the property we have traced to their countries. We are also helping them at this end.

“We are working with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and many countries are now ready to key in because they realize that fighting corruption is a very serious issue.”

Magu, who admitted that corruption has been fighting back at him, said he would fight the monster to the end with his team.

“Corruption is fighting back and some of the fighting back is coming from government officials. It is very serious, but I have fought corruption and corruption fought back. I am still fighting corruption.

“If it is my portion to lead the corruption fight particularly under President Muhammadu Buhari. I am fulfilled. We are ready to fight to the end. Somebody has to do it and I am happy we are making tremendous progress.”

Responding to a question, he said there is no sacred cow in the fight against corruption.

He said corrupt suspects will be arrested and prosecuted irrespective of political parties they belong to.

He said: “There is no sacred cow as far as this fight against corruption is concerned. We will go after anybody who has committed an offence. We will collect the money back so that it will go back to the treasury so that it can be used for the original purposes.

“I don’t care whether you are black or white or you come from Party A or Party B; the moment it can be established that you have stolen from the public treasury, we will go after you.

“Even right here (in EFCC), if we discover that you are corrupt, we will kick you out. And we are already doing that. So, we don’t go after innocent people. We are going after the thieves of state resources.”

On his reaction to President Muhammadu Buhari’s concurrence in London that Nigerians are fantastically corrupt, Magu said: “I won’t go beyond the reactions of Mr. President.”

He however said that London is the capital of money laundering.

He added: “I think it was most appropriate and you cannot shy away from being called corrupt because corruption has gone deep. The President’s reaction is ‘whatever it is, give me back what has been taken from us.’

“Of course, London is the capital of money laundering. Most of the stolen monies are hidden there either by way of property, banks or physical cash.

“I have an advantage of leading the EFCC now because what you need most when you are fighting corruption is the political will of the leadership.

“You will agree with me that Mr. President is not pretending about fighting corruption. You can see that it is in his blood. So, we are so lucky to have somebody who is committed, who supports us, who does not interfere with what we are doing and I mean that.

“It is good; you can see how we are moving. It is unprecedented.”

Regarding plea bargain, he said it is not a bad idea depending on the cooperation of accused persons who have stolen public funds.

He said: “I know plea bargain has a lot of issues, but if it is handled properly, it is not bad. If you happen to cooperate and you don’t give us too much problem and we sit down and look at what has been recovered from you, we can agree to entertain plea bargain.”

Magu insisted that the EFCC does not detain suspects illegally.

He said those who had met bail conditions were always allowed to go by the anti-graft commission.

“Nobody that has met the bail conditions is kept in the cell. We don’t do that. Honestly, it does not happen here. If we have any reason to keep somebody beyond the time allowed by law, we go to the court and obtain a remand warrant.

“But sometimes, when you arrest the suspect, on disclosure, you will get additional information from them. For instance, somebody who has stolen state funds to the time of $88m, you do not expect me to let him go like that.

“It is when you keep them that some of them will oblige and return the money and it is very important for us to get the money back.”

Read More »

FG urged to inaugurate committee on rice importation

A freight forwarder, Alhaji Tajudeen Adetayo, on Saturday urged the Federal Government to inaugurate a committee to brainstorm on the issue of rice importation..

Adetayo, Chairman, Freight Forwarders Association Badagry (FFAB), made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) In Lagos.

He called for a reversal of the policy banning rice importation through the border posts.

NAN reports that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in October 2015 lifted the ban on rice importation through the borders but the service made a reversal of the policy in March 2016, due to heavy smuggling of the commodity.

The freight forwarder suggested that government should allow duty payment on rice through the border posts to generate more revenue.

He recalled that the Ogun Command of the Customs Service generated over N1 billion within the short period the ban on rice through the border posts was lifted.

Adetayo said that some people would continue to smuggle as long as government restricted rice importation through the border posts.

“Banning rice imports is not a good omen. When Nigeria has sufficient foods, then importation of rice can be banned,’’ he told NAN.

Adetayo said that Customs could not man all the porous routes alone.
The freight forwarder said that activities at the border posts were also low due to the high exchange rate and the ban on rice, which had given room for smuggling.

He, however, called on the Nigeria Police to dismantle the 30 road blocks between Idiroko, Ajielete and Ilase.

Adetayo described the road blocks as major hindrance to trade, adding that a journey of one or two hours, might take five hours on the road.

“We do travel to Benin Republic and Togo with three to four check points to Togo.

“On roads leading to the border posts, the Police, Customs, everybody is at the check points

“Customs officers have the right to be at the road blocks but the Police should not be there,’’ he told NAN.

The freight forwarder commended the Divisional Police Officer, officers and men of the Idiroko Divisional Police Office, adding that the officers were doing their best in terms of security.

“Car snatching, stealing have become minimal at the border posts. Commercial motorcyclists no longer move after 8.30 p.m. due to restriction of their movements,’’ NAN quotes Adetayo as saying.

Read More »

Euro 2016: Poland to face Portugal in quarter-finals, Wales also qualify

Poland needed penalties to see off Switzerland and qualify for the quarter-finals of the ongoing European Championships.

Read More »

We were forced To Create The HIV Virus As a Secret Weapon To Wipe Out The African Race. Dr. Robert Gallo finally speaks

Robert Gallo

A site run by a friendly and reasonably honest woman I know recently reposted a text titled “The Man Who Created AIDS: Robert Gallo.” The text went super-viral, over 80,000 shares on Facebook alone.

Once I read it, I was aghast at how much misinformation and how many scientifically illiterate statements were in the text and attached video. I wrote her explaining my reasoning, and she immediately agreed to take down the text. It still exists on other, less responsible, sites.

Unfortunately, a large part of the damage has already been done, and that among other articles has helped foster the continued existence of a completely unfounded theory based primarily on not understanding what a patent is in molecular biology.

A patent on Ebola or HIV is not the same as a patent on an engine. Whereas the engine’s patent is reserving the production of that type of engine to the patent holder, a patent on HIV or Ebola is a patent meant to specify how the virus was isolated, how the genotype was determined, and what this consensus genotype is.

In biology, you can patent things you found to concretely identify that component, potentially for use in a more complex system later. Keep in mind that you can even patent seeds obtained from cross-pollination: the patent does not mean the species was genetically modified in a laboratory.

The same way a patent on cross-bred species does not mean it was created in a lab, a patent on a virus genome does NOT mean it was created in a lab. Robert Gallo first published his isolation and identification of HIV in 1984, and patented this in 1985. After older blood samples were then analysed in a search for this virus, it was then found in the past: it didn’t suddenly occur in the 1970s or 1980s.

Despite the claims of the article whose damage I am working to undo, the earliest samples of HIV positive blood did not originate from New York homosexuals from the 1970s, but instead date back to 1920s Congo.

The virus most certainly did not originate from biological weapons programs, which are only today becoming advanced enough that creating such a virus is even theoretically possible. They were most certainly not advanced enough in 1920, or even 1960, to create a synthetic retrovirus, which I might add, has still never actually been accomplished.

One of the articles I saw blaming Gallo comically claims that chimps were supposedly deliberately infected and released in 1979, which somehow led to the virus occurring in New York in 1971. The viral “Gallo did it” article that I convinced my friend to take down had an embedded video, where a man “explains” over dramatic music that HIV was created through “combining lymphoma, leukemia, and carcinoma viruses.”

I literally burst out laughing, because none of what he listed was a retrovirus or even a virus, and cancer has literally nothing to do with HIV. You could spend your entire life combining lymphomas, carcinomas, and leukemia, and you would still never end up with a retrovirus at the end.

All of these theories make very specific claims, without any evidence. They encourage me to believe that a man (who thinks cancers are viruses) has special knowledge and access to untold classified documents.

To prove his point, the video displays extremely blurry documents that are barely legible beyond seeing Gallo’s name. For all we know, these documents are completely fake, or actually completely harmless. We don’t know, because as is the norm in such articles or videos: no sources are supplied.

Yes, the United States did and maybe still does have biological weapons programs. The Soviets did, and Russia still runs its “Vector” high-security lab, as well. This is absolutely no indication that HIV is a bio weapon, especially considering the actual time-line of infections.

There are even more reasons why Ebola is certainly not a bioweapon, but that is beyond the scope of this text. Gallo was a scientist, and a researcher, and his position in the public eye is yet another reason to doubt him being an evil mastermind.

Read More »

Just In : Olumide Babalola Sues Linda Ikeji For 50million Naira

A Lagos-based Lawyer Olumide Babalola has dragged the popular celebrity blogger, Linda Ikeji before the Lagos High Court for several reliefs bordering on unauthorized and offensive use of picture.

In Suit No. LD/3265MFHR/2016 before Hon. Justice O.H. Oshodi, the lawyer sued the blogger for damages in the sum of N50, 000,000 (Fifty Million Naira) for the unauthorized use of his picture on her blog for crime-related stories which he claimed has subjected him to mental and psychological torture in violation of his constitutional right to dignity of human person and freedom from degrading treatment.

Pending the time of the hearing of the main suit, Justice O.H. Oshodi granted an injunction restraining Linda Ikeji from further use of the lawyer’s picture otherwise she would be committed to prison for contempt of court.

PM News obtained the copy of the court order which was granted on the 12th of May, 2016, wherein the court restrained the blogger from further publishing Mr. Olumide Babalola’s pictures for crime-related stories.

[b]PM News also reliably gathered that the award-winning lawyer who just returned from New York, United States of America, where he was presented with an International Gold award for quality and excellence in business in recognition of his varying public interest litigations had earlier written to Linda Ikeji to desist from further publication but the blogger called him bluff.

The matter has been adjourned to September 2016 for hearing.

Read More »

Ortom accuses Suswam of murder

Samuel Ortom

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has accused his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam of having a hand in some unresolved murder cases that occurred during his regime.

Ortom was responding to the former Governor’s claim that the amnesty programme of the state, in which criminals were asked to surrender illegally acquired arms for a better life, was a failure and scam.

According to an earlier article, Suswam who was hitherto accused of being responsible for the proliferation of arms in the state and consequent criminality, lamented the incessant cases of kidnapping and assassination of the Governor’s aide on Security, Denen Igbana, saying Ortom had lost control of the state having being ill-prepared to govern in the first place.

Responding through his Special Adviser on Media and ICT, Mr Tahav Agerzua, Governor Ortom said the circumstances through which some persons were killed under Suswam’s administration left fingers pointing at none other than the former Governor.

“Dr. Suswam seemed to have forgotten the unresolved murders of the late Tony Udu of the Examinations Board, Gwa Jande, former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Benue State University, Pastor Adoor of the Lands and Survey, the great farmer, Simon Chaverkper, Charles Ayede, Celestine Tsebee Agber, alias Egbe Nack, in circumstances which many suspect him.

“Ironically, no member of the Suswam cabinet was ever called to answer any charge despite public outcries on complicity of him or his officials in the several unresolved murder cases,” the statement read in part.

Governor Ortom reiterated his resolve to stamp out criminality from the state saying his administration “will continue to support all the security formations in the state to help weed out those remaining criminals who have spurned the Governments generous offer of amnesty.”

Read More »

Unbelievable! See the Young Lady Who Allegedly Turned into a Cat in Ibadan (Photos)

The young lady pictured above allegely urned into a cat and was caught by residents of Ibadan.

According to Samson Akindele, the Head of News at Fresh 105.9 FM, Ibadan, who shared the story, the young lady turned into a cat and was found inside a store of a house at Ringroad area of Ibadan, Oyo state last Tuesday.

He shared these photos and wrote:

“This girl was said to have transformed from a cat into a human being at dawn today. She was allegedly found as a cat in the store of a house at Ringroad area in Ibadan.


“It reportedly transformed into a girl before it could be killed. She smelled like an animal and passed heavily smelly animal faeces and urine with equally strong foul odour that could not be said to be of human origin.

“I’m still unable to eat as result of the choking smell that pervaded the community. It’s one of the most scary reportorial assignments for me.

“Does anyone still believe in earthly mysteries and secrets?

“This is strange, but could it be true?”

Read More »

[PHOTOS] Meet Late Stephen Keshi’s Handsome Son, Stephen Junior

Dapper hunk of a man, Stephen Junior is the first son of late Super Eagles Coach and legend, Stephen Keshi.

The 27-year-old is based in Atlanta and he works as an event producer but currently, he is in Nigeria for his father’s burial.

See more photos:

Read More »

Photos: Nigerian Conjoined Twins Miracle & Testimony Ayeni’s Surgery Sponsored By Arik Air

Act Of Kindness

Arik Airline has offered to sponsor the surgery of Conjoined twin girls, Miracle and Testimony Ayeni.

In a statement signed by Arik Air spokesperson, Ola Adebanji, the airline has offered to partner with Linking Hands Foundation, an NGO which recently secured free medical treatment for the twin girls at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis Tennesse.

The Airline will be sponsoring the twins and their parents by paying for their transport fare and provide provide money for the family during their trip to the United States of America.

Linking Hands Foundation thanked Arik Air for accepting to fly the twins and their family abroad.

Read More »

Man Charged With Murder After Ex-Girlfriend Commits Suicide to Escape Him (Photo)

Jessica Damian Haban

In a very rare case, a man is been charged for murder in relation to a suicide death by his ex-girlfriend who felt threatened by him.

A prosecutor has charged a Minnesota man for murder in the suicide death of his ex-girlfriend, alleging that he harassed and stalked her to the point that she killed herself, PEOPLE confirms.

Jessica Damian Haban, 28, of Stewartville, Minnesota, bore two children to Long Vang, 34, during an allegedly tumultuous, nearly 11-year relationship. She killed herself on Dec. 17, 2015, at her home. The two were "culturally married" in 2010, according to Haban's published obituary.

Now Vang, who was booked June 10, sits in the Olmsted County jail in Rochester, charged with third-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, and stalking. He has not yet entered a plea, a spokesman for the Olmsted County District Court tells PEOPLE.

In announcing the charges, Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem's office alleges that during the couple's time together, "Mr. Vang subjected his partner to ever-increasing levels of domestic abuse. The abuse was verbal, emotional, mental, and physical."

"In May 2015, Mr. Vang's abuse resulted in a traumatic brain injury to his partner," according to the prosecutors office. "Ultimately his partner took her own life to escape the relationship."

Said Ostrem in a statement: "I believe Mr. Vang's conduct directly contributed to the death of his partner. Mr. Vang was clearly aware of the precarious state of his partner's emotions following her hospitalizations and he continued his relentless contacts until her death."

The prosecutor says he's aware such charges may be unprecedented in Minnesota or elsewhere. "We have put a lot more scrutiny into charging this than in a typical case," he told the Star-Tribune. "We know there are going to be some challenges and some questions. We plan to have our ducks in a row."

Read More »

UNBELIEVABLE!!!! Meet the Man Who Has S*x With His Wife 10 Hours Every Single Day (Photo)

Mashudhu Chauke

A s*x crazed man has shocked people after it was found out that he has s*x with his wife 10 hours every day.

The man identified as Mashudhu Chauke, has been found out to have s*x with his wife 10 hours every day after the woman made the matter public.

The exhausted wife, Lebogang Malatji, has taken her s*x-crazed husband to court to stop him making love to her for that long.

Lebogang Malatji, 37, said Mashudhu Chauke, 47, always wanted to do it in the morning, afternoon, and 5 times in the night.

According to iManzi, a traditonal court at Matiyane Village, Limpopo, South Africa, heard how each session lasted 90 minutes after he swigged African love potion umvusakunzi. She said he would beat her if she did not comply.

However, in his defence Mashudhu said his problems started after an organ operation went wrong.

“My scrotum used to swell with fluid. It was painful and the only option was to be operated on. After the operation that is when lights went out for me. I couldn’t get an erection,” he said.

“My uncle whose ancestry is of Khoi-San origin advised me to take umvusakunzi (a s*x enhancing herbal drink). After that my s*x life became phenomenal,” he added.

But, according to him, the s*xual urge has become way too much for him.

“At times I masturbate, even before and after s*x. I just can’t get enough,” he said. “I am a man who takes his bedroom life seriously. When I am about to reach climax I stop a bit and start to kiss my partner and resume after a few minutes,”

The Chief advised the couple to go for counseling and barred Mashudhu from beating or verbally insulting Lebogang in any way.

Read More »

Army refutes allegation that Buratai, wives own property in Dubai

Tukur Yusufu Buratai

The Nigerian Army says its attention has been drawn to another round of campaign of calumny against the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai and his family by some unscrupulous elements.

It said such claims were contained in a report titled “Revealed: Buhari’s Chief Of Army Staff, General Buratai, Wives Own Dubai Property”, alleging that Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Tukur Buratai, and his two wives were joint owners of a Dubai property that was paid for in one transaction.

Colonel Sani Usman in a statement on Saturday said the “baseless allegations” were not new.


He recalled that in‎ March this year, some groups of individuals under the aegis of “Concerned Citizens”, tried same smear campaign but that to their disappointment, it could not fly, because it was not true.

“Earlier in the week, there was similar campaign of calumny by yet another online news medium, in which among other things, it alleged that wounded in action Nigerian Army personnel were abandoned by the Army, government and the nation which is not true.

“Therefore, the latest round of smear campaign is one of the series of campaigns of calumny by these faceless individuals to malign the Chief of Army Staff and the Nigerian Army.

“Yet, typical of blackmailers and mischief makers despite failures, they did not give up, hence they now found a willing accomplice reputed for muckraking.

“The allegations contained in the write up are baseless and not correct. It is a fact that the Buratai family have two properties in Dubai that were paid for instamentally through personal savings three years ago. This, along with other personal assets have consistently been declared by General Buratai in his Assets Declaration Form as Commander Multinational Joint Task Force Commander and as Chief of Army Staff.

“It is pertinent to state that the Chief of Army Staff does not have any account with Skye Bank as alleged, let alone making deposits in the imaginary bank account to the tune of the amount stated in the write up. Similarly, he has not been involved in any form of shady or dishonest transaction, not to talk of contract scam.

“In addition, General Buratai was never near either Defence Headquarters or Army Headquarters in 2013. It is pertinent to also note that he was never a Director of procurement in Army Headquarters as alleged. As a matter of fact, the Nigerian Army never had a Directorate of Procurement till when he established one last year when he became Chief of Army Staff.

“In a bid to rubbish the hard earned reputation and good name of the Chief of Army Staff, these blackmailers will stop at nothing hence all these kinds of mudslinging.

“It is really worrisome that some people could condescend so low to fabricate baseless allegation against the Chief of Army Staff for reasons that could best be described as mischievous.

“Consequently, the public and indeed all well meaning persons should disregard this round of campaign of calumny against the Chief of Army Staff and similar ones because they are baseless and unfounded.

“For the unscrupulous elements and their cohorts, these campaigns would prod the Nigerian Army and indeed the Chief of Army Staff to continue to serve the nation diligently and with utmost zeal.”

The online news medium this evening uploaded another campaign of calumny allegedly based on a petition by obviously fake and non-existent group it described as Concerned Soldiers and Officers From the North East.

Read More »

Zenith Bank Manager Who Knelt Down to Beg is Fayose's Boy?...Read Interestion Allegations

As the controversy of Governor Fayose's dealings with Zenith Bank rages on, the identity of the kneeling official of the bank has been allegedly revealed.

Following the Zenith Bank-Fayose drama that has amused Nigerians in the last couple of days, the identity of the bank manager who knelt down before the governor has been allegedly disclosed.

A Facebook User, Dolapo Adejobi who claims to be in the know revealed that the said manager is a protege of the governor who was placed in the bank's employment on the orders of Fayose.

Read the allegations below:

"The man Kneeling down in the picture below is Bunmi Falana, a.k.a Bumshaka. Bumshaka is one of the Ayo Fayose's boys together with Goke Olatunji [G.O.K] Fayose's P.A in the past. Goke and Bunmi were together with Ayo Fayose during the 2003 Governorship struggle against Otunba Niyi Adebayo the then incumbent Governor.

"When Fayose emerged as the Executive Governor of the State, he appointed Goke as Personal Assistant, while Bunmi [Bumshaka] was said to inform Fayose that he preferred a career job, hence he was fixed with Zenith Bank via the capacity of Ayo Fayose, and for his banking purposes.

"He was brought in to handle all his banking transactions till 2006 when Mr. Fayose was chased out of Ekiti State Government House following his impeachment. After this regrettable rein of Mr. Fayose in 2006, Bunmi Falana [Bumshaka] was transferred by Zenith Bank to Ogun State until 2014 when he was expectedly transferred back to Ekiti at the commencement of the June 21, 2014 Governorship Election Campaigns in the State as requested by Gov. Fayose.

"This transfer request and the promotion of Bunmi as the Branch Manager are part of the conditions Gov. Fayose gave Zenith Bank before he could have confidence in any transaction with the Bank. About the ongoing drama titled, Ayo Fayose's Election fund by Zenith Bank; Fayose strongly felt disappointed in his boy [Bumshaka] in which the said boy realize and thereby resolved to beg his boss who by his chances rise to his present status in the Banking job.

"To the notice of the General Public, Bunmi Falana a.k.a Bumshaka begs Gov. Fayose within his individual capacity, and NOT on behalf of the Zenith Bank. The way Bunmi Falana dramatised, by kneeling down to beg Gov. Fayose in the presence of the Zenith Bank Executives was strange, but left with no choice than to be short of words."

See a screenshot of the Facebook post below:

Read More »

Kate Henshaw Shares Unseen Photo of Her Bedroom Destroyed by the Fire that Razed Her Home Last Year

Kate Henshaw

Popular Nigerian actress, Kate Henshaw has flashed back to the period when her home was razed by a fire incident some time ago.

Kate Henshaw has shared with her fans a photo from the fire incident that ravaged her home in June last year, 2015.

It will be recalled that the Nollywood actress' Lekki Phase 1 home was gutted by fire last year.

The fire outbreak was believed to have been caused by an electric spark.

Now, a never seen photo of how the fire wrecked her personal room has been released.

Below is the photo of her bedroom whch was wrecked by the fire.

The burnt bedroom

Kate also shared her testimony/words of praise to God for keeping her alive.

Below are her words:

Read More »

Judgement Scam: Why Okonjo-Iweala Should Not Be Blamed

Recently, a coalition of anti-corruption civil society bodies petitioned the EFCC that the erstwhile Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Muhaamed Bello Adoke to account for the sum of $3.2 billion allegedly belonging to the 774 local governments on whose behalf one Mr. Joe Agi SAN obtained the judgment.


According to media report, “…none of the local governments benefited from the $1.6 billion said to have been paid to the plaintiffs.”


The question on the minds of many Nigerians is: Who really authorized the disbursement of the funds?

I am not so good at mathematics, but I know for sure that a trillion is made up of several billions; and several millions makes a billion. If my knowledge of math is still with me, it is either this judgement is a sham or there is a deliberate distortion somewhere!

In a country with a reputation of corrupt judiciary doing the biddings of their pay master, one do not need to wait too long to buy “gbanjo” judgement using the Yoruba parlance language. We live in a country where the Judiciary that is supposed to be the last hope of the common man is providing no hope, but hardship.

 We all are witnesses to the fact that people like Justice Salami sold their conscience for their paymasters and were all ignominiously shown the way out of the famous institution.

At this point let us bring in former Minister of Finance, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She has to be brought in because, going by conventional wisdom, she served as the custodian of the nation’s treasury at the time so she cannot be “insulated” from the news.

More curiously we ask: would Dr. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala not have made the part payment of $1.6 billion? In her own case, did she collude with the Adoke because she too ignored the advice of the Debt Management Office? As the Coordinating Minister of the Economy at the time, did she not ought to have protected Nigeria by defending the position of the DMO instead of following Adoke's dubious directive to pay the sum of a judgment debt of $3.6 billion?

While I do not envy the former finance minister at all for having to serve in the same administration with people like Adoke, we must resist the temptations to assume that everyone that served under Hitler was evil. After all, President Buhari served under one of the worst administrations in Nigeria’s history- General Sanni Abacha.

So why should Okonjo-Iweala be guilty by association if Buhari is not guilty of the Abacha’s crimes?

The role of Okonjo-Iweala as finance minister is not to question expenditures or vouchers. Those are roles purely of the Offices of the Accountant-General and the Auditor-General of the Federation.

For God’s sake, why should I, for instance perform the duties of a nurse just because I am the physician?

Read More »

Abuja Jailbreak: Charles Okah Still in Custody - Nigerian Prisons Service Insist

The suspected mastermind of the 2010 Independence Day bombings, Charles Okah, did not escape from Kuje Prison in Abuja, the Nigerian Prisons Service has told Premium Times.

“It is not true (that he escaped),” the spokesperson for the Nigerian Prisons Service, Francis Enobore disclosed in response to reports that Mr. Okah scaled the prison’s wall and fled on Friday night.

“He is there (Kuje prison) hale and hearty. The comptroller of prisons in charge of the FCT was there less than 30 minutes ago and he saw him there. I spoke to the controller.”

Mr. Enobore however admitted that there was an “incident” at the prison on Friday night.

“Yes there was an incident yesterday, but Henry Okah was not involved,” he said. "The Comptoller of prisons has ordered an investigation and that is going on. We want to know if anybody escaped and if yes, what are their identities.”

Mr. Enobore promised to provide updates once the preliminary investigation is ready.

Read More »

Investigation! General Buratai, his wives own property in Dubai (photos)

Tukur Yusuf Buratai

Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai and his two wives are joint owners of home in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

– The investigative journalists assume that the property may have come from a vehicle contract scam

SaharaReporters has published the results of its investigation in the property owned by Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, the chief of army staff of Nigeria, and his family.

According to the media outlet, the general and his two spouses own a property, namely a house, in Dubai, which was bought through one transaction.

Second-hand vehicle contract scam

The journalists claim that the funds for the purchase of the property were taken from a suspicious vehicle contract at the time when Mr. Buratai was the Director of Procurement at the Army Headquarters.

Buratai Arms Procurement Credit: Sahara Reporters
The mentioned vehicles including motorcyles were reportedly meant for use in fights against Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast of the country.



The rumours about the alleged scam forced the  Concerned Soldiers and Officers From the North East to petition President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to order an investigation into the contract.

Buratai Arms Procurement Credit: Sahara Reporters

According to the petitioners, Mr Buratia was acting through his alleged proxy, Usman Gamawa, founder of Baggash Investment Limited.

Buratai Arms Procurement Credit: Sahara Reporters

The old vehicles were reportedly bought in Niger Republic and later refurbished at Mogadishu Cantonment under the supervision of Staff Sergeant Dadan Garba.

“If President Buhari can give service chiefs enough money to buy equipment, why are they buying old ones?” asked the aggrieved petitioners.



Dubai property

The petition claims that the property the Buratais acquired in Dubai was bought from a company, SIGMA 111 Limited. An excerpt from Sahara Reporters’ article reads in part:

“According to the document, General Buratai and his wives had, on January 13, 2013, reached an agreement with the seller for the purchase of the property, Project TFG Marina Hotel, Unit 2711.

Sahara Reporters

The asking price was AED 1,542,000.00 (or $419,826.06 or N120m). They alleged that General Buratai paid a total sum of AED 1,498, 534.00 (N115.6m) because the sellers gave concessions of AED 43,466, made up of “incentives, promotions, and early payment bonus.”

READ ALSO: Fayose: EFCC under Buhari is desperate to prosecute whoever they suspect

The agreement indicating full payment for the house and the handing over of ownership to the Buratais was signed on January 13, 2014. The document identified the COAS as “Mr. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, holder of passport No. A04250623.”

Passport of General Buratai’s wife. Credit: Sahara Reporters

The general’s wives were identified as Mrs. Aishatu Tukur Buratai, holder of passport No. A03400260, and Mrs. Umar Kalsum Tukur Buratai, holder of passport No. A03239920.

The petitioners further claimed that, since his appointment as COAS last July, General Buratai had been making numerous hefty deposits in his various bank accounts. For example, his Skye Bank account (1770380452) received a deposit of N10 million on July 24, 2015.

Passport of General Buratai’s wife. Credit: Sahara Reporters

On August 7, 2015, another N10 million was paid into the same account. Three days later, the account was credited with yet another sum of N10 million. On August 11 and 17, N4 million and N3, 270,000 were credited to the account respectively.”

General Buratais’ reaction to the accusations

A spokesman to the General Buratai commented on the issue: “Please know that the allegation on the Chief of Army Staff and members of his family owning a property in Dubai is an old one. It is a fact that the family bought such property through personal savings and [it] was paid for instalmentally since 2013.

It may interest you to know that this petition is not new because there was a similar allegation in March this year, [but] it could not see the light of the day because there was no substance in it.


The mentioned assets were always declared in his asset declaration forms as Commander MNJTF and the most recent one was when he was appointed  Chief of Army Staff in July 2015,” the aide stated.

As regards to the contractor, the Chief of Army Staff has nothing to do with it. But when it came to his knowledge, he instituted a commission of inquiry, which investigated it and made far-reaching recommendations which were being implemented.”

More photos and details at Sahara Reporters.

Read More »

Manhunt Begins, As MEND Leader Charles Okah Escapes From Kuje Prison

A leader of the Movement For The Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, Mr. Charles Okah has escaped from Kuje Prison in Abuja.

Mr. Okah, who is a brother of Henry Okah, also jailed in South Africa, had been on trial in Abuja for the 2010 Independence Day bombing that killed 27 people.

The Paradigm learnt that the younger Okah escaped last night by simply scaling the prison walls of the prison.

He was reportedly in the company on another prison inmate.

A massive manhunt has commenced to find and rearrest him.

Read More »

Drama as Angry Father Storms UNIZIK to Beat up His Daughter's Abusive Boyfriend (Photos)

A young man has received the shock of his life when his girlfriend's father stormed his school to teach him some serious lessons.

The young man, a student of Nnamdi Azikwe University, UNIZIK who is said to be a very abusive person recieved a beating he will always remember, in the hands of his girlfriend's father.

Several sources have revealed that the girl's father and her brother stormed the school, UNIZIK in Awka, Anambra State, to deal with the student who is allegedly fond of beating the girl.

They lured the young man to a private place where the father sternly warned him not to go near his daughter again else he would kill him.

The student was then given some hot slaps and kicks by the man while his son watched and stood guard.

The young man later went on his knees to plead with aggrieved family.

Read More »

Horror! Hoodlums Stab Okada Man on His Head in Broad Daylight, Make Away With His Bike (Graphic Photo)

The man pictured above is a commercial motorcycle rider who was attacked by hoodlums in Benue State.

A commercial motorcycle rider has had a terrifying experienced after hoodlums unleashed horror on him in broad daylight.

The unnamed Okada man was yesterday stabbed on the head in Makurdi, by unknown hoodlums.

According to Benue News, the attackers trailed the hapless young man and when they got him, proceeded to attack him.

They stabbed the Okada man in the head, by the side of his waist and the chest before making away with his motorcycle.

The matter has been reported to the police.

Read More »

Ghen Ghen! The USA Has 'Solid Evidence' of S*x Scandal Against Nigerian Lawmakers - Sources Confirm

Nigeria's House of Representatives

New revelation has shown that the United States of America has some really solid evidence of s*xual misconduct against the accused Nigerian lawmakers.

New investigation carried out by Premium Times, has shown that U.S. officials have “solid evidence” of the alleged misconduct Ambassador James Entwistle reported to House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.

According to Premium Times, high-level diplomatic sources confirmed this.

In a letter dated June 9, the U.S. Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr. Entwistle, accused three Nigerian lawmakers – Mohammed Garba Gololo (Bauchi APC), Samuel Ikon (Akwa Ibom PDP) and Mark Gbillah (Benue APC) – of soliciting s*xual favours from hotel staff in two separate incidents.

Mr. Gololo allegedly grabbed a housekeeper in his hotel room and solicited her for sex while Messrs. Ikon and Gbilla allegedly requested hotel parking attendants to assist them to procure prostitutes.

The alleged incidents occurred in April at the Residence Inn Marriot, Downtown Cleveland and were promptly reported to State Department officials by the hotel’s management.

In response to the lawmakers’ denial of the allegations and threats of legal action, local sources in Cleveland and sources close to State Department and the Nigerian diaspora community in Washington DC have told Premium Times that relevant U.S. officials are in possession of records specifying “circumstances of” the alleged incidents, including “eyewitness reports” and real-time “video” evidence.

“The Ambassador wouldn’t have written to the Speaker if there is no solid evidence,” said one of our sources, who added that after the hotel manager reported the incidents, State Department officers “had to investigate before acting on the allegations.”

The investigation was extensive and exhaustive; it included interrogation of relevant hotel staff and review of all closed-circuit cameras in the vicinity of the alleged incidents, state department insiders said.

Hinting at details of the investigation, our source countered Mr. Gololo’s denial, insisting that of the three lawmakers, “he is the one who actually put his hand on somebody, the others only made a verbal request”.

Premium Times learnt from the state department that “the woman he (Gololo) allegedly accosted felt intimidated”. Local Cleveland sources told us that she feared she would lose her job if she screamed or caused discomfort to the hotel’s other guests.

She however reported the incident to her supervisor at the soonest opportunity after extricating herself from the offensive situation.

Sources equally brushed aside Mr. Gbilla’s protestations about not having a car as a diversion.

“You don’t need to have a car to talk to a parking lot attendant,” he said.

This newspaper was reliably informed by our Washington DC sources that Ambassador Entwistle would neither retract nor apologize for the contents of the letter sent to the Speaker.

“In all honesty, the Ambassador would not have gone forward with the letter if there is no solid evidence behind it,” he said adding that Mr. Entwistle “is not going to apologize; there is nothing to apologize for.”

Contrary to Mr. Gbillah’s assertion that Mr. Entwistle’s petition was an attempt “to bring disrepute to the hallowed institution of the National Assembly and the entire nation of Nigeria”, our source said the intention was to put out there that some participants in the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP), not all, are guilty of bad behaviour and to educate participants who may be admitted for this and other programmes in future.

“The reality is that these three gentlemen made a mistake. They violated the terms of the IVLP of which they were duly informed before they left Abuja,” our source said.

“Prostitution is not legal in the U.S., they were informed about that before their departure,” the source said.

Our source insists that the lawmakers even had a chance to redeem their image after the fact.

“If they had been remorseful, if they had just said it was miscommunication and apologized, that would have been the end of it,” the source said.

Instead, the lawmakers over-reacted and made their case “sound worse than it is”, said our source.

“They were accused of assault and solicitation, no one talked about rape,” the source added.

Premium Times has it on good authority that State Department officials are not worried about the lawmakers’ threat of legal action because, according to our Washington DC sources, “they know their evidence will hold up in court”.

“If they (Gololo, Ikon and Gbillah) want the full spotlight of the justice system to shine on the evidence in the possession of the State Department, they should go ahead and initiate a lawsuit,” the source said.

He also insisted that the lawmakers were accorded due respect even after hotel staff reported the incidents to their managers.

“Their conduct was a breach of U.S. law, instead of calling State Department officials, hotel managers could have had them summarily arrested and charged. As it is, everybody gave them a pass, letting them complete the programme without interference,” said the source.

The lawmakers’ alleged misconduct resonated negatively among Nigerian-Americans who are active in ongoing U.S. presidential election campaigns.

Those scheduled to be in Cleveland next month for the Republican Convention and allied political activities are weary that they may be victimized for the lawmakers’ bad behaviour.

Hotel management and staff may single them out for unsavoury treatment, they said.

“I won’t be surprised if they keep female service staff away from anyone who identifies as a Nigerian or carries Nigerian passport,” a Washington-based Nigerian said.

Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC has operated without an ambassador since the death of Professor Adebowale Adefuye last September.

When contacted, Gbara Awanen, Head of the Political Section, Embassy of Nigeria, Washington DC, said other than what he read in the Nigerian media, he knew nothing about the incident.

Other officials declined to comment for this story.

Read More »

Good News: Fuel Station Cuts Price of Petrol from N145 to N139 in Calabar

Nigerians may likely start enjoying the dividends of the removal of subsidy on petrol as some fuel stations are already beginning to cut the pump price of the product.

Citing the need to lighten the burden on consumers,  a fuel station in Calabar, Prosperous Oil and Gas Limited has reduced the price of Premium Motor Spirit from N145 per litre to N139.

This is coming barely one week after an outlet owned by Basol Petroleum Limited located in the Calabar-South axis of the Cross River State capital had also brought down the unit price of PMS for the same reason.

According to Punch, the Group Managing Director of Prosperous Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Abiodun Isinkaye, said the company was in sympathy with consumers that suffered so much hardship during the period of extreme fuel scarcity.

As an independent petroleum outlet, Isinkaye noted, however, that the reduction in price also meant small profit for his company.

“This reduction in price of PMS to N139 per litre is starting with our Calabar headquarters. It will extend to other stations of ours across the country. Loyal customers will also get gifts when they buy fuel.  It is meant to ease the burden of consumers,” he said.

Isinkaye also noted that following the removal of subsidy by the Federal Government, there had been steady supply of products to the Calabar depot.

“Subsidy removal is a welcome development. No nation can survive subsiding petroleum products. Unfortunately, most of the fuel subsidised by the government is not consumed by Nigerians and this is a big waste.

“In the past, you see hundreds of trucks loading from Calabar depot to be taken out of the country, but the situation has changed. The bulk of the product which was subsidised by government found their way out of the country. The field is now level for those who genuinely need to invest. Now I am coming down to N139, another can go below,” he said.

In reducing the cost of PMS to N139, Managing Director of Basol Petroleum Limited, Mr. Bassey Sunny-Abang, had noted that the removal of subsidy on PMS had brought about sanity in the depots.

He also said that the quantity of tankers loading the product from Calabar depot had dropped since the removal of subsidy.

Read More »

Actress Dakore Akande Is Stunning In New Photos

...still as pretty as always!

Read More »

IT's HAPPENING NOW!!! Kalu Ikeagwu Getting Married To Hardworking Single Mother, Ijeoma Eze In Enugu Today

Kalu Ikeagwu Getting Married To Hardworking Single Mother, Ijeoma Eze In Enugu Today

The most eligible bachelor in Nollywood, Kalu Ikeagwu will today take Ijeoma Eze, a beautiful mother of one as his lovely wedded wife.

Makeup artist Ijeoma Eze, who has a daughter from her previous relationship will today become Nollywood hunk Kalu Ikeagwu’s wife in Enugu.

The actor has settled for a low-key and quiet wedding unlike some of his colleagues.

Details later...

Read More »

Shocking! Unknown Gunmen Attack Family, Disappear With 2 Innocent Kids in Imo State (Photo)

The missing children Adanna, Kamsiyochukwu and Tochukwu Ihieme seen with matchet cut

A family has been reduced to panic, fear and tears as gunmen stormed their home to cause serious havoc in their lives.

The gunmen stormed Ezeohan Village in Owerri- Nworji community of Nkwere Local Government Area of Imo state and invadde the home of one Mrs Queen Ihieme.

At the height of the attack, even thought the woman was screaming, no one dared come out.

According to Vanguard, the time of the attack was 1.35am. At first, no one dared to come out to ascertain the cause of the frantic cry. But when the dust settled, the mother of two was found unconscious in the pool of her blood.

Another man with her later discovered to be her brother in-law, Tochukwu Ihieme, a member of staff of Vanguard Media limited, was also soaked with blood.

They were too stunned to tell bewildered sympathisers what transpired.

After some interminable minutes, Tochukwu Ihieme regained consciousness and revealed to the astonishment of all that some gunmen stormed the apartment and went away with his brother’s two children of ages one and two respectively.

Vanguard reports that the gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, were three. They were said to have forced their way in through the back door. By then, Tochukwu Ihieme, who came visiting the previous day, woke up following the disturbing sounds, only to be hit with a   matchete   by one of the intruders.    

Narrating his ordeal to Crime Guard, the Vanguard staff said: “I am from Anambra state but my younger brother, Nnamdi Ihieme, resides in Imo state with his family. My aged parents were with him. I travelled to his place to enable me take my parents who were sick to the hospital in Imo state and then go back to my base in Anambra.

"That fateful day, I went to the bank to withdraw N20, 000   with which I bought food stuff which my parents were to take back to Anambra state. We intended travelling the next day.

“But the planned journey was foiled following the invasion of the house by three men. One of them held a gun; another was with an axe while the third one was with cutlass. Immediately I woke up to ascertain where the disturbing noise was coming from, they pointed their torchlight at me and at the same time hit me with a machete and asked ‘where is the money?’ They did not even give me any room to respond. Rather, they started beating me with the machete and axe. The third one even threatened to shoot me if I made any effort to fight them. They even matcheted my brother’s wife .

"At the end, they went away with my brother’s two children…” at this juncture, he held his head groaning in pain..

While Tochukwu was discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment, same could not be said of Mrs Queen Ihieme who was still on admission a week after the incident.

Her distraught husband, who was at work when the incident happened, rushed home after a concerned neighbour broke the sad news to him.

Speaking with Crime Guard, he said: “I don’t know why this kind of fate has befallen me. I do not have problem with anyone that could have warranted such ill treatment on my innocent children. I do not know where they are at the moment.

"We have combed the entire neighbourhood and beyond without luck.   This is the first time an incident of such would happen in my community. It was even after it occurred that I was informed that a child was beheaded three days before this incident at Umudi community.

“My work usually takes me away for a week or more. I had to rush back after spending three days because of this heart- rending news.   My wife is still on admission owing to the deep machete cuts on her head. It is more disturbing because no one has called to demand for ransom for their release.

"Please, whoever is with my two-year and six months old Adanna and one year, six months old Kansimyochukwu , should have mercy on them and bring them back to us. We are not rich, we are barely managing to survive,” he said, calling on the Police to come to their rescue.

Meanwhile, Crime Guard gathered that policemen had arrested owner of a local drinking joint where Tochukwu stopped to buy recharge card. In the process, a conversation ensued between him and some villagers who were unwinding at the joint, at the end of which he was said to have disclosed who he came to visit.   It was gathered that the owner of the place and his wife were later released .

As at yesterday, Police sources hinted that investigation into the matter was still ongoing.

Read More »

How the Police Tortured Our Young Son to Death - Family Cries for Justice (Photo)

Chibuike Edu

Following the death of their son, a family in Enugu is crying for justice claiming the police allegedly tortured their son to death and must answer for the crime.

The family in Enugu are currently crying for help after their young son was alllegedly tortured to death by Policemen in the Enugu State command.

Chibuike Edu’s death is like a nightmare to his family who are still trying to understand how the 22-year-old ended up in the cell of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Enugu, where he was tortured only to die just 10 minutes after he was rushed to the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, on May 18, 2016.

To compound the family’s anguish, Chibuike’s death was not even communicated to them, and his body had yet to be released by the police for burial.

The corpse was deposited at the morgue in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozala, Enugu, without the knowledge of the family members, who are now crying out for justice.

The Punch learnt that the late Chibuike, a native of Ulepa village in Ntezi, a community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was a factory worker with Intecil Products Limited, which is based in the Emene area of Enugu.

He was the last of the six surviving children of a widow. The young man, said to be talented in football, relocated from Lagos to Enugu in 2015.

Advised by family members to stay back in Enugu, Chibuike took up a factory job in January 2016, as he waited for a breakthrough in his quest to become a professional footballer.Chibuike was also seeking to further his studies, following advice from his family that it was better for him to combine academics with a possible career in football.

The factory job was supposed to be a temporary job – a means for Chibuike to raise some money to pursue bigger ambition. Unfortunately, the temporary job led to his death, putting a permanent stop to his dreams.

According to petitions forwarded to the Senate, House of Representatives, National Human Rights Commission and other bodies by the deceased’s family, an alleged theft in the administrative unit of Intecil Limited, the company he worked for, on April 29, 2016 led to his arrest.

The theft, which involved an unspecified amount of money, was said to have taken place while Chibuike and other workers were on duty.

However, Chibuike was at work in the factory as of the time the theft took place in the administrative offices.

A copy of the petition sent to the National Assembly, which was signed by the deceased’s brother, Oliver Edu, and his sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Orsu, was made available to our correspondent.

Explaining the circumstances of his death, the petition reads, “On April 30, 2016, Chibuike was invited by the Emene Police Division and after his statement at the police station, he was released because they found he was not involved in the theft. But the police detained one Sunday Oche, whom they suspected to be involved.”

The family explained that the Executive Managing Director of Intecil Products Limited, Mr. Chinedu Arodiogu, then requested that the case be transferred to SARS, a police formation specialised in handling armed robbery cases. Chibuike was promptly arrested again by SARS operatives when he reported to work on May 9, 2016.

Unfortunately, Chibuike never came out alive after his arrest and detention. Seven days later, he was rushed to ESUTH for complications which reportedly came from his torture. There, he died.

Chibuike’s family members said in the petition, “On May 16, 2016, a SARS official, one Mr. Everest, informed us that, upon his investigation, ‘the boy (Chibuike) is innocent but he should wait in the cell.’”

Elizabeth, the sister, added that when she brought food to Chibuike at the SARS detention facility on May 17, “she noticed bruises and scars all over his body, indicative of torture.”

She added that during the visit, Chibuike confirmed to her that the SARS operatives tortured him to force him to confess. Chibuike said he did not yield to the torture, Elizabeth said in the petition.

However, when the family members visited again on May 18, they were told that Chibuike was dead. Since then, the family had been denied access to Chibuike’s corpse, which had been deposited in the morgue at UNTH.

“On June 2, 2016, the family visited the mortuary but they were denied access to the body again.

“According to the mortician, Chibuike’s body is labelled as “armed robber” therefore no one could have access to it without police permission,” the petition added.

The family members further alleged that the management of Intecil Limited and SARS are collaborating to cover up their roles in Chibuike’s death. The family has alleged collusion between the management of Intecil Limited and police over the murder of their son. They said the company had yet to officially communicate to the family of Chibuike about his death.

In the petitions to the Senate, House of Representatives, National Human Rights Commission, the family has called for the prosecution of those responsible for the killing of their son. They have also demanded an independent autopsy on Chibuike’s remains.

The deceased’s family insists that there must be an adequate compensation and a public apology from Intecil Limited and the police, while also demanding a befitting burial for him.

 “The death of late Chibuike is a clear case of torture and illicit treatment and more worrisome is the fact that the young lad was completely innocent of the phantom claim against him,” the family said.

Read More »