PHOTONEWS : President Jonathan's "Diehard" Supporters Want Petroleum Minister Diezani Sacked

A youth group that described itself as diehard supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan held a protest march in Warri, Delta State over the weekend to request the removal of controversial Petroleum minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke and the minister of Internal affair, Abba Moro.
The group reported the event as stated below: More troubles seem to be brewing for the embattled Minister of Petroleum Affairs Mrs Deziani Alison Madueke and her counterpart at the Ministry of Interior Affairs Comrade Patrick Abba Moro when youths from the Niger Delta held a protest rally in the city of Warri at the weekend to demand their immediate resignation or sack from office.
The youths who stated that they were die hard supporters of Dr. Goodluck presidency and government vowed to lead more protest to the venue of  the ongoing national Conference and the National assembly at Abuja until their demands were not given favorable consideration.
The Protest rally which was marshalled by members of the Niger Delta People Salvation Front (NDPSF) Delta/Edo Zone amongst other groups like Niger Delta Freedom Movement was led by an Urhobo Youth Leader, Social Justice Activist and Spokesman to Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari, Comrade Rex Ekiugbo Anighoro who stated that it was time for all Non Performing Ministers and Presidential Appointees of the President to resign and get sacked or face the full opposition of youths across Nigeria.
Speaking to the Press, Comrade Rex Ekiugbo Anighoro remarked that Deziani Alison Madueke and Patrick Abba Moro were bad eggs who are generating negative publicity and unnecessary distraction for the Goodluck Jonathan's administration and as such must go.
He stated that all the protesting youths most of whom were graduates from tertiary institutions were irrevocably and unrepentantly commitment to the Goodluck Jonathan's presidency and as supporters of the best performing president Nigeria has ever produced they have decided to be that still small voice of reason that will motivate and challenge the president to perform better and finish strong. Comrade Rex Anighoro noted that the likes of the Jezebelian oil goddess and the blood sucking monster that Deziani and Moro are, do not deserve to remain in government as they do not add value to the people nor enhance public service delivery."
 Let it be known that our mission here is not to aid the sanguinary appetite of an opposition who are mere alarmist and blackmailers, indeed we are here to perform a patriotic duty of supporting Dr. Jonathan perform better, we want him to finish strong and get reelected by a landslide, to ensure this we think it is necessary for him to sack all dead woods and also boost public confidence, we intend to continually be the still small voice that will constructively engage the government to do much more for the people, Jonathan is our father and we believe in him and as children of the house we have come to demand that the house be cleansed and organized much better, we are not here to energize the opposition but to ensure Jonathan that Jonathan win more support and finishes strong. We think Deziani has misrepresented us as Niger Deltans specifically she has not shown impeachable character and virtues of integrity and humility we expected of her she has not created opportunities for our young people but has carried on arrogantly and corruptly so we demand that she should go, the youths of Niger Delta has rejected her, so she must leave but if Mr. President do not heed our call we will continue to push and insist and express our displeasure ,however it is his call to do what is needful,we stand by Mr. President but Deziani and Moro must go and we shall extent this to other ministers and federal appointees we find so wanting" he stated.
Comrade Rex Anighoro speaking further stated that they were thankful to Mr. President for sacking Elder Godsday Orubebe whom they had led a similar protest against, they also commended Mr. President for courageously sacking Stella Oduah and Sanusi Lamido all of whom who have generated negative publicity for Mr. President, they now urge him to do much more by sacking Deziani and Moro,win more support and shut up the opposition who have been blowing things out of proportion just to discredit Jonathan's Presidency.
The youths who held one minute silence for the repose of the souls of the youths who died at the screening exercise by the Nigerian Immigration Service were clad in red T-shirts  with the inscription "Mr President we support you but sack Deziani and Moro now.The youths who marched the Warri express way danced to Fela Anikulakpo Kuti hits amongst other alutarized songs, carrying various placards with inscription such as "the oil goddess must go", "Sack Moro the blood sucking monster now" "Mr President enough is enough, sack all non performing ministers now", "On Goodluck Jonathan we stand but we say no to Deziani", "stop allowing Alarming People Cultist (APC) and lying mohammed lie against Mr.President", you are embarrassing Mr. President Deziani and Moro resign" now amongst others.
The youths further declared their support for the ongoing National Conference and President Goodluck Jonathan re-election

Actress Chika Ike lands $300,000 multinational deal

The star actress and philanthropist is now the face of Bullet Energy drink and had her official unveiling at the Sunmark office, London. The founder of Sunmark Ltd Reminder Ranger and other top managements where present at the unveiling. - See more at: http://www.clemmag.com/actress-chika-ike-lands-300000-multinational-deal/#sthash.CNjLHt2X.dpuf

The star actress and philanthropist is now the face of Bullet Energy drink and had her official unveiling at the Sunmark office, London. The founder of Sunmark Ltd Reminder Ranger and other top managements where present at the unveiling. - See more at: http://www.clemmag.com/actress-chika-ike-lands-300000-multinational-deal/#sthash.CNjLHt2X.dpuf

The star actress and philanthropist is now the face of Bullet Energy drink and had her official unveiling at the Sunmark office, London. The founder of Sunmark Ltd Reminder Ranger and other top managements where present at the unveiling. - See more at: http://www.clemmag.com/actress-chika-ike-lands-300000-multinational-deal/#sthash.CNjLHt2X.dpuf

CAN President, Oristsejafor tells why Pastors are richer than their members

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor recently bared his mind concerning the controversies surrounding churches and their flamboyant pastors.

On why there are so many poor people in churches yet rich pastors, Oritsejafor who recently completed an ultra modern 40,000 capacity church auditorium in Warri, Delta State, said


“Remember that the pastors are pasturing both the poor and the rich. They are all in the same assembly. Both the poor and the rich, those who have the means in the church take time to be kind to their pastors. That is something most people don’t realize.

They give their pastors money, food and different things. For example, a member of the church goes to his pastor and says, ‘I feel led to give you a car. Take this car.’ Now the pastor has a car. Did he steal it? As I sit here talking to you now, I can tell you that I am training almost 100 people in institutions of higher learning. Nobody is going to broadcast that.

On every 26th of December, I organize what I call poverty alleviation. I have been doing it now for about eight years.”

When asked to explain why churches milk the poor, the CAN president and Senior pastor of Word of Life Bible Church, said:

"People don’t understand what they say about the church milking the poor. Can a poor man have money to pay tithe? A man who has no job, can he pay tithe? No, he won’t be able to pay. So how do you milk a man who has no milk? In a church, you have both the poor and the rich. It is generally not the poor that finance the church.

It is those with the means. A man, for example, who earns N10,000, how much is his tithe? His tithe is N1,000. A man who earns N500,000, how much is his tithe? His tithe is 10 per cent which is N50,000. How much would you milk from a man who pays a tithe of N1000?

“We won’t say things like this usually because the church is a level-playing ground. Whether you are poor or you are rich, God sees everybody as equal. It is because of a question like this that sometimes, we have to take time to analyse things.

I even hear people say that the poor give money to start schools, but their children cannot go to the schools. How will they give this money when they are poor? The truth is that, the people who actually give this money are those who have the means to do so. Those people make it possible for churches to start schools. Now again, why do churches charge high fees in school? You didn’t ask me that, but I’m just throwing that in free. People must understand that there is a standard." he told Punch

JTF, Arrests Two Britons, Others For Crude Oil Theft, ₦20M Bribery Offered ……

The Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta, on Friday announced that its officials declined a  ₦20 million gratification offered by a syndicate to facilitate oil theft. The members of the syndicate, including two Britons, were also arrested.

The Commander of the JTF, Emmanuel Atewe, who paraded the suspects before journalists in Yenagoa, said that the suspects were arrested shortly after offering $66,500 ( ₦10.6 million) being part payment of the ₦20 million bribe pledge.

The cash exhibit was also displayed before journalists at the JTF Headquarters in Yenagoa.

Mr. Atewe explained that a representative of the syndicate approached the JTF with an approval letter from Naval Headquarters for a vessel, NNS Delta, to evacuate petroleum products.

Based on the letter, the JTF said it granted the approval and directed its troops to monitor the activities of the firm in the water ways.

The commander said that the oil theft syndicate unfolded a plan to hack into Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC) pipeline in Chamoni creek near Warri to siphon crude.

“The oil theft syndicate offered the Operation Officer of JTF’s 3 Battalion an initial payment of 5,000 for ‘recharge card’ and $1,500 to fuel the gunboat that will escort the stolen crude.

“The two British Nationals subsequently requested a meeting with the Brigade Commander of 4 Brigade where the suspects expressed their desire to connect a hose to SPDC pipeline along the Chanomi creek in Delta state to illegally siphon crude oil into barges.

“The foreign nationals promised to bribe the Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Fidelis Azinta with ₦20 million and to take care of officers and soldiers along the Chanomi creek.

“On March 21, 2014, one of the suspects brought $60,000 (₦10.2 million) as part payment for the  ₦20 million pledge, the suspects were immediately arrested for attempting to bribe the Brigade Commander for economic sabotage,” Mr. Atewe said.

He said Mr. Azinta had earlier reported an attempt to bribe him with $30,000 when he was Chief of Staff at the JTF Headquarters in July 2012.

The JTF Commander said the two British suspects, and 12 technicians they hired to drill into the pipeline and connect the hoses to steal crude, were arrested and their tools seized.

He said the suspects would be handed over to the Department of State Security Service, SSS, for prosecution.

Mr. Atewe, however, expressed unhappiness that one of the suspects, Joshua Orupere, was once arrested and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for prosecution.

He said Mr. Orupere, a serial offender who is currently on bail for an earlier offence, was apprehended last year when he tried to bribe the same commander who was then the Chief of Staff, JTF.

The JTF boss decried lack of diligent prosecution and appealed to relevant agencies to assist JTF in curbing the menace of crude oil theft.

Nigeria loses tens of thousands of barrels of crude to oil thieves daily.

Obesere Rape Scandal DVD Selling-Out Like Hot Cake

Fuji artiste, Alhaji Abass Akande, aka Obesere, has finally released a video CD – ‘Rape Scandal’ to prove his innocence on the rape allegation levelled against him sometime in February, by one Olanike Olaiya.

Encomium Weekly reports that the CD which contains Obesere’s interview and that of his witness, Bolatito Omo Owo has been selling like hot cake since its release on March 17 – so far, thousands of the CD have been sold.

Explaining why he released the CD, Obesere insisted that he didn’t do the video for monetary reasons.
“I want people, especially my fans, to get a clearer picture of what really happened between myself and Nike Olaiya. Also, the inclusion of Alhaja Bola Omo Owo’s interview in the video is to let the public know that I have nothing to hide.
I am sure everybody can recognize me, but I want people to also see the face of Alhaja Omo Owo so that they will all know she’s not a fake person. Rape Scandal was produced to explain everything in detail. It wasn’t for monetary reason, but all of a sudden, everybody keeps requesting for a copy.
By now, Nike should just come out and defend herself. Her picture is also on the jacket of the CD. Everybody knows that Papa can never rape and that will never happen. I believe that won’t be the first time Nike will be swindling men. It’s God that exposed her. That’s why she is running up and down. Everybody has seen the face of a scammer. Very soon, she would show up or be fished out.” He told the magazine
Reacting to the release of the video on Sunday, March 23, 2014, Olaiya, the alleged rape victim said; “let them go ahead with their video CDs. If they like, they should come out with 10 of such, it doesn’t bother me. Very soon, the whole world will know the truth. All I know is that sinners won’t go unpunished. But I thank God I am okay now.”

Abuja Boko Haram Jailbreak: SSS Confirms 21 Casualties

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) says there were 21 casualties in today’s attempted jail break in Abuja.
In an update late on Sunday, DSS Deputy Director in charge of Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, said that two service personnel also received serious injuries.
Three other detainees who received gunshot injuries have also died, she said.
Investigation into the incident is continuing.
Inmates at the SSS detention facility in Abuja overpowered guards on Sunday and briefly took over the SSS headquarters. Several detainees were freed until the army was called in to quell the insurrection.

Solidstar Signed As Super Eagles Ambassador To Brazil 2014 World Cup

Solidstar has just signed an ambassador deal with the Nigerian Football Association in-conjunction with the Nigerian Football Supporters Club The deal will have Solidstar record the official Super Eagles theme song which will be used to unite and inspire the players on and off the pitch and also our country.

The NFA was represented by Dr. Rafiu Oladipo who’s also the president of the supporters club said in a statement “We needed someone one who was passionate about Nigeria football and who has that gyration in his voice and who the new and old generation can relate to and it was just Solidstar that came to mind” The “Negotiate” crooner with joy appreciated the football association and the supporters club and said he is humbled by Dr. Oladipo’s kind words and he won’t disappoint in the new project.

 “Expect something gyrating, something that will lift the spirit of the whole players, coaching staff, the supporters and the whole country”. Solidstar assured.

Famous Abokuku Singer, Zara Gretti Dies After Battle With Multiple Sclerosis

The singer who has been battling Multiple Sclerosis for a while now is dead. Zara left Nigeria for the US last year where she has been receiving treatment for her ailment, but sadly she lost the battle. She was in her 20’s.

Actress Laide Bakare’s Husband, Alhaji Orilowo Declared WANTED By EFCC

Actress Laide Bakare’s Husband, Alhaji Orilowo Declared WANTED By EFCC For Stealing! – Photo

Popular Actress, Laide Bakare’s Husband, Muttairu Babatunde Orilowo, is on the run. Orilowo, 47, has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with a case of criminal conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretences and stealing, According to E247Mag.
In a notice to the public, the EFCC noted:
“The public is hereby notified that Alhaji Muttairu Babatunde Babaegbe Orilowo, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with a case of Criminal Conspiracy, Obtaining Money under False Pretences and Stealing.
“Dark complexioned Orilowo is 47 years old, 5.7 Feet tall and has brown eyes.
He speaks English and Yoruba fluently.
His last known address is No. 1 Otunba Adeniyi Street, Papa-Epe, Lagos.
Though, close friends hinted Orilowo may have sneaked out of the country to Canada to escape arrest, the declaration by the EFCC was due to one business that went awry.
They are confident that he will return soon and clear all the grey areas involving a top telecom company and a leading bank.
Orilowo has his hands in many pies including property, dredging, and oil and gas with huge investment scattered over Ajah, Ibeju- Lekki, Epe axis.
Until last year, Laide was married to her US-based ex-hubby, Olumide Okunfulure, who she claimed was the father of her first born, a girl. But in a shocking twist of fate, she started dating Orilowo and few months after she got pregnant for the businessman who spoilt her silly with choice cars and furnished apartments, now wanted by the EFCC.
Okunfulure had in an interview claimed Laide remained his wife due to the process they went through to formalise the marriage that qualified her to obtain her current US citizen’s status on his name and he was the father of the baby she was expecting.
Eventually, the embattled actress travelled to the United States of America where she delivered her second child, a boy, christened ‘Oluwadamilare, Mishal Orilowo.’
On several social media, she flaunted her pictures and her new baby while she showed pictures of herself and Orilowo on spending sprees and honeymoon to close friends.
Amidst the controversy over the true paternity of her baby, she said:
“It’s only a woman that knows who the father of her baby is.”
Her marriage to Okunfulure was dissolved on the pages of magazines and she started to co-habit with the money-man.
To the chagrin of all, an Islamic marriage rite, Nikkhah was conducted to formalize their union as husband and wife.
The baby’s christening party was well-attended with famous Fuji Star, Malaika on the bandstand. Orilowo also pulled all the stops to ensure the premiere of her film, Jejere was a huge success with Fuji Lord, K1 de Ultimate and pop singer, 9ICE entertaining guests. Orilowo is a fan of many Fuji musicians who sing his praise to high heavens.
He’s fondly referred to as ATM in Lagos’ social circle.

All North Korean men ordered to get same hairstyle as leader Kim Jong-un

Men in North Korea have been ordered to get the same haircut as their Dear Leader, Kim Jong Un, according to media reports.

State-sanctioned “fashion guidelines” were introduced in Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, about two weeks ago and are now being applied across the country, the Korea Times reported Wednesday.

In recent photographs, Kim Jong Un can be seen wearing his hair relatively long on top, short at the back and closely shaved on the sides. Soon, all the other men in the country will sport this style, too, media reports said.

A former Pyongyang resident now living in China said many consider Kim Jong Un’s hairstyle to be unpopular, telling Radio Free Asia that until the mid-2000s, “we called it the ‘Chinese smuggler haircut’,” because those who had a similar haircut were thought to look like smugglers.

Another said many did not want to get their leader’s haircut, saying it is “very particular, if you will.”

“It doesn’t always go with everyone, since everyone has different face and head shapes”, he told Radio Free Asia.

Indian mob attacks, strips Nigerian tourist after missing his way

A Nigerian tourist who lost his way in India was chased and thrashed by a mob that suspected him for a terrorist or a member of an Indian guerrilla group, known as the Naxalites.
The Times of India said the Nigerian identified as Clinton Osemwegi Igbinosun was attacked during late night hours of Wednesday. He sustained serious injuries, lost all his cloths and fell into an open sewer puddle as he fled for his life through the lanes of the village of Allapalli, located in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, India
Exhausted and beaten, Clinton laid naked in a narrow lane when he was rescued by the local police after midnight. Police verified his claims and are going to hand him over to Foreign Registration Office (FRO) on Friday.
SDPO, Aheri, Suhas Bauche said that Clinton is a Nigerian visiting India on a tourist visa. He was heading to Bangalore from Delhi by a train. However, he got irritated by the poor services and amenities in the train and disembarked at Nagpur on Wednesday morning.
Clinton then decided to travel by bus and asked people for a bus heading to Bangalore (Vengaluru). People however failed to understand his African accent and showed him a bus for Ballarshah (Ballarpur). He boarded and disembarked by afternoon.
According to the Times of India report, Clinton got frustrated on learning that he reached a wrong destination and decided to head back to Allahabad from where he had initially started his journey. Again he asked for a bus for Allahabad at Ballarpur bus-stop and because of his NIgerian accent, people showed him the bus for Allapalli.
He reached Allapalli at around 10pm and instantly understood that he had again reached a wrong place. People turned suspicious towards the more than six-and-half feet tall Nigerian as he started looking for a hotel and sought direction for airport late in the night in the Naxal-affected area.
“His English in African accent is very difficult to understand. Cops too had a difficult time in understanding what he said. His tall demeanour and African looks turned people suspicious towards him,” said SPDO Bauche. He claimed that people sought explanations in local language and broken English, which he didn’t understand either.
As the crowd grew bigger, Clinton got afraid and started fleeing. People got more suspicious and started chasing him. Though Bauche did not confirm of Clinton being thrashed, local sources claimed that he was chased and beaten by the people.
How Clinton lost his cloths is however a puzzle. Cops suspect that he might have himself taken off his cloths after he fell into the sewer.
After running for hours to save his life, Clinton managed to dodge the crowd and took refuge in a narrow lane between two houses. Vilas Bandawar who woke up hearing mayhem, saw an exhausted and injured Clinton laying naked. He helped him wash by pouring water and gave a lungi.
Meanwhile, cops had reached the place on getting information and took him to hospital.
“We have confirmed his whereabouts and cross-checked his claims. Clinton turned out to be an innocent foreigner who lost his way. We are going to hand him over to FRO officials,” said Bauche.

National Conference “Sleeping Delegate” Hamma Misau Is Dead

A delegate at the ongoing National Conference in Nigeria, retired police AIG Hamma Misau has died at the National Hospital in Abuja. Mallam Misau died last night of an undisclosed illness at the age of 67.
Mallam Misau became famous after a photo of him taking a nap at the conference was shared  on social media three days ago.
Barrister Mohammed Hamma a cousin to the retired police officer confirmed his demise to SaharaReporters. He said a Muslim funeral is due shortly in Bauchi for the late delegate. Mallam Hamma Misau hails from Misau in Bauchi state.

FG’s job outsourcing policy to reduce unemployment – Entrepreneurs

Some entrepreneurs on Thursday said the Federal Government’s planned policy on outsourcing of jobs would contribute marginally to ease unemployment pressure in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the adoption of the outsourcing policy will compel Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies to cede some of their jobs to unemployed graduates.

The government has said it planned to select a manageable number of unemployed graduates to test run the policy.

The entrepreneurs said that the country had delayed in contemplating what they described as a laudable policy.

According to them, India, China, Japan, Malaysia and some countries in Europe and the Americas have used the modality to reduce high unemployment rates.

Mr. Gbenga Adefila, the Managing Director of S&B Finance, a consulting firm, said the introduction of the policy would be a wonderful social security programme for the country’s teeming unemployed.

“We suggested this policy a decade ago, but it was kept under the carpet. The government, perhaps is now waking up to the reality of the pending danger of not engaging the graduates.

“The recent Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment saga which led to the death of 19 job seekers may have pushed the government to contemplate it,’’ he said.

Mr. Chris Okafor, the Chief Executive Officer, Golden Rubber Plant Nigeria Ltd, said the policy, when fully operational, would lead to the establishment of businesses.

“All that is required is to build the courage of these young ones to become entrepreneurs at a later time,’’ he said.

A Business Feasibility Consultant, Mr Femi Adetola, also aligned himself with other entrepreneurs, but advised that the drivers of the programme should uphold competence and professionalism in the distribution of the jobs.

Similarly, Alhaji Shehu Haruna, the Managing Director, Fills Motors, expressed fears that the policy might be abused, saying that the country did not have a clean record of its unemployed persons.

LASTMA Unit Head Arraigned Over Sale Of Seized Van

Ejigbo sectional head of the Lagos State Transportation Management Authority, LASTMA, Mr. Adeoti Bamidele Wasiu, has been arraigned, before the Ijeshatedo Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, for his alleged involvement in the illegal use of a bus seized from the owner.
Wasiu, 48, who is the head of Ejigbo Base 7, Zebra section of LASTMA, was arraigned and remanded in prison custody because he did not immediately meet the bail conditions as at yesterday.
Wasiu’s arraignment is coming on the heels of the arraignment of another senior LASTMA officer, Taofik Onofowora, who was charged with converting the same seized van to his personal use a few weeks ago.
Wasiu was arraigned before Magistrate A.O. Gbajumo on a two-count charge of criminal conversion and stealing under the Criminal Code.
The police alleged that Wasiu impounded the Mercedes Benz van with registration number XU 140 JJJ along Iyana Ejigbo area belonging to Marvelous Peace for not using a seat belt and converted it to his personal use, an offence punishable under the Criminal Code.
The arrest of Wasiu followed a petition written by Peace through his lawyer, Barrister Olufemi Ajiboso, to the Area ‘D’ Police Division, Mushin and the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, protesting the use of his vehicle by Taofik.
In the petition, Peace alleged that Wasiu and Taofik arrested him along Iyana Ejigbo-Ikotun road for not using a seat belt.
He said he pleaded with them after his arrest but they refused and drove the vehicle to their office at Ejigbo Yard.
Peace narrated that they asked him to pay a certain amount as fine for the offence which he paid and thereafter they asked him to pay another N180,000 as demurrage  before the vehicle will be released to him.
He said he pleaded with them to accept N90,000 but they refused. He said Taofik on the directive of Waisu insisted that the money must be fully paid before they will release the vehicle.
The complainant said he went home to get the money and paid to the bank and returned to their office with the receipt, but instead of releasing his vehicle to him, they started dribbling him, telling him to come today, come tomorrow, for almost two weeks.
Peace said he was going regularly to their office with his receipt of payment to get his vehicle released. He disclosed that on one of such visits, Taofik told him to forget the vehicle because it had been confiscated by the Lagos State Government.
He said he became frustrated and was thinking of what to do next when information got to him that Taofik was using the vehicle for his personal movement.
He disclosed further that he confirmed the information when he saw Taofik driving the vehicle, adding that when he confronted the LASTMA officer, he told him that the van now belonged to him because he bought it from the government.
Peace said he went to the Ejigbo police division and reported the matter. Taofik was arrested and later transferred to Area ‘D’ Division, Mushin for further investigation.
At the conclusion of investigation, Taofik was charged to court.
When the matter came up, he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor, Mr. Ayorinde informed the court that there was another case relating to the incident, saying he intends to join them at the next adjournment.
The court granted Wasiu bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
When he could not meet the conditions attached to the bail, the magistrate ordered that he should be remanded in custody at the Kirikiri Prison, pending the fulfilment of the conditions.
Further hearing in the matter has been adjourned till 7 May, 2014.

Governor Dickson Sacks 7 Commissioners

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, southern Nigeria, has sacked seven commissioners in his cabinet.
Thos affected in the cabinet shake up are the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Francis Egele; the Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Ayakeme Massa; Commissioner for Health, Dr. Anapurere Michael Awoli; and the Commissioner for Tourism Development,  Nelson Belief.
Others also dropped are the Commissioner for Special Duties (Federal Projects), Gesiye Isowo; Commissioner for Science, Technology and Manpower Development, Parkinson Macmanuel; and Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Sylvanus Abila.
The cabinet shake up, according to Governor Dickson, the move is in line with an ongoing reorganisation of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for a more optimal implementation of the Restoration agenda and improved service delivery.
The Governor’s chief press secretary, Daniel Iworiso Markson, said the sacked commissioners are requested to hand over to the permanent secretaries in their various ministries.
According to Markson, “His Excellency, Hon. Seriake Dickson, Governor of Bayelsa State, personally expressed his gratitude to them for their commitment to service, diligence, hard work and invaluable contributions to the successes attained by the administration in the last two years.”.
He added: “the Governor wishes them well in all their future endeavours, as they could be called upon to serve the state in other capacities in future”.

Toll Collection To Continue On Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge, Lagos Attorney-General Insists

Despite this morning’s judgement of a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi nullifying the collection of any toll or tariff on the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye has said toll collection on the bridge will continue as usual.
According to Ipaye, who was speaking hours after the court session, the judgment did not specifically stop toll collection on the bridge.
He explained that although Justice Saliu Saidu held that there is no law backing the imposition of tolls on commuters, the judgment is ambiguous because the court did not make any consequential order or declaration barring toll collection on the bridge.
“The judgment read this morning did not specifically address many of the questions raised by the applicant, neither did it grant any of the declarations sought”, Ipaye said. “So they [road users] will continue to pay. All the same, we are not ruling out any kind of interpretation”.
He also revealed the intention of the Lagos State Government to appeal the judgement and file an application for stay of execution.
“As you heard for yourselves, no order was made”, he said. “However, the pronouncements referred to above are capable of being interpreted as court orders, hence our decision to appeal for stay of execution immediately”.
He argued that contrary to Justice Saidu’s judgement, Section 29 of the Private Public Partnerships Law of Lagos State has provisions for collection of toll notwithstanding the involvement or otherwise of the private sector in its construction.
“Aside from the failure of the court to make any consequential order or declaration, the judgment contains at least two or three fundamental errors.
“And one of the errors is the assumption that the Private Public Partnerships Law of Lagos State, which we cited in support of toll collection, did not apply, simply because the bridge was not constructed by public-private partnership”.
Ruling on the suit, which was filed by human rights lawyer, Ebun Adegboruwa, presiding judge, Justice Saidu, J. had held that the power of control over all navigable waterways in Nigeria resides in the Federal Government and not any state government.
He held that from all the documents made available to the court, the only justification for the toll fee on the bridge by Lagos State is the private partnership law. However, he noted that the law could not apply to the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge since it was built with the money of the Lagos State Government, without the involvement of any private partnership.
“Thus, since there is no law supporting the toll fee, it is illegal and should be stopped forthwith”, Justice Saidu had said.

Nigerian Police Officer Kills Self, Wife, Five Others Over Marital Dispute - PREMIUM TIMES

A police officer in Ogun State on Thursday shot and killed seven people including his wife, a two-year-old toddler, and himself, the police have confirmed.
Police Corporal Sunkanmi Ogunbiyi, attached to State Criminal Investigation Department of the Ogun State Police Command, went berserk on Thursday morning in Abeokuta.
The rampaging policeman was said to be having matrimonial problems with Oluwatosin, his wife, who is also a police corporal attached to Obantoko police station in Abeokuta, the Ogun capital.
According to neighbours, following a quarrel between the couple, Oluwatosin moved, alongside their two children, to the house of a neighbour, their landlady.
Witnesses said Mr. Ogunbiyi arrived the landlady’s residence at about 7:02 a.m. and immediately opened fire on his wife. He also shot and killed the landlady, a 2-year-old toddler, and three others. He did not shoot at his children, who were also in the house.
Three other tenants also sustained gunshot injuries during the incident which occurred at 67, Ifelodun Street, Akingbala area of Obantoko, Abeokuta. The injured were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, where they are now receiving treatment.
Some neighbours told PREMIUM TIMES that the police corporal had in the past warned the landlady not to harbour his wife and children whenever the couple had any misunderstanding.
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, later visited the scene to assess the situation.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement, confirmed the incident.
He said that Mr. Ogunbiyi and his wife had been having ‘domestic conflicts’ before Thursday’s killings.
“The Ogun State Police Command has deemed it necessary to react to the killing of six persons by a police Corporal Sunkanmi Ogunbiyi attached to the Ogun State Police Command,” the spokesperson said in the statement.
“The unfortunate incident occurred this morning Thursday 27th March, 2014 at 0758hrs when the said corporal, who had been having domestic conflicts with his wife, shot and killed six persons, with his rifle, including his wife, Woman Corporal Oluwatosin Faremi, the landlady in the house, a two-year-old baby girl and two males and one female, while another three persons sustained injuries and receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, Abeokuta. The said corporal, having killed these persons, shot himself dead immediately.
“The Commissioner of Police Ogun State, CP Ikemefuna Okoye has described the incident as unfortunate; and has visited the scene with other senior police officers in the command to assess the situation and sympathize with the relations of the deceased and members of the Akingbala Ifelodun Estate, Eleweran Area, Abeokuta, where the incident took place,” he added.
Mr. Adejobi said “The Command has therefore commenced thorough forensic investigation into the killing and promised to make sure justice is done in the matter.”
“The commissioner of police however appeals to the general public to perceive the incident as one of the unfortunate social mishaps and not to judge the police with the incident, as the police is committed to protection of lives and property and will not tolerate any act capable of trampling on fundamental human rights of the citizens of Ogun State.”

Nigerian Military Kill 11 Boko Haram Members At Cameroon Border, Recover Weapons & Vehicles

The Nigerian military today killed 11 suspected Boko Haram fighters along Cameroon border in Adamawa state.
The sect fighters, according to spokesman of Nigerian military, Maj Gen. Chris Olukolade were forced out of their hide out following hunger in the forest.
Olukolade in a statement said “ A group of terrorists attempting to escape into Cameroon through Taraba and Gumti in Adamawa State have come under heavy fire from troops on patrol of the area in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign. The terrorists who had been trapped as a result of ongoing offensive  by troops along the borders were given out when some of them could no longer bear the hunger in their make shift camps in the forest.
“Those who were apprehended led troops to other hideouts where fierce fighting ensued. Seven terrorists died, while a large number of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and rifles were recovered including over seventy motorcycles.  Similar encounter in Gombi also led to the death of 4 other terrorists.”

On the foreign arms dealer, the statement added “Meanwhile, sustained patrols and searches by the Multi National Joint Task Force have led to the arrest of more terrorists including a heavily armed suspect who is claiming dual nationalities of Chad and Burkina-Faso.

“He was arrested with different caliber of arms and ammunitions along the Chad border and is currently helping in ongoing investigation by the Special Forces. Patrols are still ongoing around the Lake Chad including Kwatan, Kanwa, Kwatan Yobe and other Islands.”

Diezani’s jet scandal: Reps panel under pressure, uncovers third aircraft

There were indications on Wednesday  that members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts had come under intense pressure to tread softly on their ongoing investigation into  the   alleged  financial excesses of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

It was   also learnt in Abuja that Alison-Madueke   chartered a third jet for her use, besides the two already in the records of the committee.

The Solomon Olamilekan-led committee is  investigating the expenditure of  N10bn on a Challenger 850 chartered and maintained for  the minister’s use.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively on Wednesday that the committee was holding preliminary meetings on the investigation when it stumbled on fresh information that Alison-Madueke also chartered a second jet for her trips.

A source disclosed that a return trip on the Global Express XRS to London for example, gulped €600,000 or N137m.

However,  a lawmaker told our correspondent that  since the House passed the resolution last week to   probe the allegations against the minister, “forces within Nigeria, especially outside the National Assembly,”  had been calling some  of the committee members relentlessly.

He said, “At a point on Tuesday, the pressure became unbearable. I think people are beginning to think that the House is embarking on a witch-hunt. But that is not the idea.

“We are doing our constitutional duty to expose corruption wherever it exists.

“If at the end of the day, the investigation proves that it was justifiable for a minister to spend billions of naira to charter aircraft, so be it.”

Efforts to get key  members of the committee to  comment  on the alleged pressure  hit a brick wall.

Olamilekan  neither answered our correspondent’s calls nor replied text messages on Wednesday.

 When contacted, the spokesman for the House, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, said   it would be inappropriate for the House to speak on a matter it had referred to its committee for investigation.

 “The matter is before the committee”, he said.

Findings by The PUNCH on Wednesday showed that the committee was gathering information on the existence of a third jet chartered by the minister for the same purposes as the first two.

A source close to the   Public Accounts  committee, who confided in  our correspondent, said,  “From available information, “there  are three aircraft the minister charters for her trips within and outside the country. “What they were doing was  to alternate the planes,”

The source, who did not want his name in print,   was however quick to add that the committee’s assignment was only to investigate and not to indict anybody.

“Well, the assignment before the committee is an investigation. Nobody has been accused of any wrongdoing for now, but we have to establish all these allegations,” he said.

The PUNCH learnt as of 4pm on Wednesday that the committee was yet to decide on the date it would summon Alison-Madueke.

 A meeting of the committee, which reportedly started around 1pm, had still in progress as of  4pm.

 Top on the agenda were said to be the allegations against the minister.

 Another  source  said, “The members are meeting to discuss the methodology to adopt in the investigation.

“An aviation consultant is assisting with additional information.

“Essentially, the investigation is to establish whether the minister did spend these huge funds on the jets.

“Who approved the funds? Was the money appropriated by the National Assembly?

“What aspect of our laws allows a minister to fly in chartered aircraft overseas for her private or official trips.

“These are the issues and all agencies or officials involved will be invited to state their side of the case.”

Strike paralyses flights in Germany

Air passengers in Germany faced delays, disruption and hundreds of flight cancellations across the country Thursday as ground staff, baggage handlers and maintenance workers walked out over pay.
Lufthansa, Germany’s biggest airline and hardest hit by the strike, on Wednesday announced that it would cancel around 600 of its European and domestic flights until 2:00 pm (1300 GMT).
In Frankfurt alone, Lufthansa’s hub, airport operator Fraport said that some 550 flights have been cancelled out of a total 1,300 scheduled arrivals and departures.
The strikes are being organised by the giant services sector union Verdi and follows a series of walkouts in kindergartens and other public services in recent weeks.
But other airlines insist that the impact so far appears to be rather limited.
Air Berlin, Germany’s second biggest airline, listed just six cancellations of flights — all to and from Frankfurt — on its website.
Air France also said it would not be greatly affected with just a single flight to Cologne-Bonn airport cancelled so far.
And Italian airline Alitalia said it did not expect any disruptions.
A spokesman for Munich airport, the country’s second-biggest, said 130 flights have been cancelled so far, mostly by Lufthansa.
In order to limit the anticipated chaos, airlines have been advising passengers to check online before travelling.
And Fraport has advised passengers booked on the cancelled flights not to bother turning up at all.
The national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, is mobilising additional staff to cope with the expected increase in rail traffic as air passengers take the train instead.
Under an agreement between the rail operator and the airlines, passengers holding valid tickets for domestic flights on Lufthansa, Germanwings or Air Berlin can swap them for train tickets.

Ondo State Media Workers Protest Working Conditions And Deny Access To The Director General

Media workers at Ondo State Radio-Vision Corporation surprised many yesterday when they held a protest complaining about long hours, and appalling working conditions, and prevented the Director General, Ladi Akeredulo-Ale, from entering the station.
Chanting solidarity songs in the OSRC compound in Orita Obele Estate Junction, Ijare Road in Akure, workers, under the auspices of the Joint Negotiated Council, blocked the station's entrance.
Thirty police officers, led by the State Assistant Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, met protestors at the front gate joined by two armored personnel carriers and five police patrol vans.  A media worker, requesting anonymity, said the heavy police presence was the result of allegations spread by the Director General that protestors had threatened to burn down the station if the government failed to look into their demands.
Mr. Taiwo Ibitoye a spokesman for the workers, said journalists were suffering in silence, working like slaves but paid peanuts. And when workers did complain they were fired by the Director General.
Workers said the station which promotes the work of State government is in a shambles and a state of collapse despite the yearly Internally Generated Revenue profile and acclaimed state investment of Naira 90 million.
The State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko brought in the Director General, was previously with Channels Television in Lagos.  During the DG's tenure at the OSRC, Akeredulo-Ale has not created growth or development at the station.
In a statement issued by the workers to journalists in Akure, titled OSRC in Limbo, Who Will Save Us? and from statements made by workers at the protest, there are a litany of complaints:
- Workers work under duress with their mornings starting at 5 am and ending at 12 pm;
- The building is collapsing and the equipment is moribund;
- The station hasn't been fumigated for the past four years, workers fear snakes and one snake bit an engineer, who luckily survived;
- The Radio Station (96.5FM), a kilometer from the Television station, in the same compound is dying, and the Television station lacks necessary equipment;
- There is a lack of fully operational news vehicles which has affected news gathering and packaging;
- News and Current Affairs department is said to be generating more than Naira 200,000 every week but the money has not been accounted for;
- Training and re-training of workers has been on hold since 2010;
- The Transmitter is pumping less than five percent and has been affected by termites;
- The Television Audio and Editing suite has collapsed with the station voicing through the use of Electronic News Gathering (ENG) Cameras;
- Civil Service Allowance, approved for every workers by the Governor, has been removed from the OSRC salary since January.
- Wardrobe allowance for staff appearing on Television Programs and Newscaster is N2000,00 not increased since 2004 despite inflation;
- The traditional Christmas and New year palliatives are no longer forthcoming.
SaharaReporters learned the state government supplied diesel to the corporation since 2009 without collecting anything from its IGR but there was no explanation about how the IGR was spent.
A worker said, "We are tired of all this injustice on the state media workers. We don't know what is happening to the Revenue generated by the station. The worker's welfare is not a priority."
He added, "We are suffering, and even the training and re-training of workers is on hold since 2010. This is worse, when the newsroom ranks as the worst among its peers. This is a Station where none of the workers are enjoying their work and even working under duress, pressure and many are even fired while salaries are deducted outrageously for punishment."
Workers said the Ondo State Governor was probably not aware of the numerous challenges facing the station because management, led by the Director General blocked their complaints from reaching the governor.
SaharaReporters called the Director General's mobile number for his reaction to the various allegations but he did not respond.  A second call received no response, and text messages were not returned.
Government house sources said the Governor, who was not around during the protest, is most likely to summon the Management of the station.

PHOTO: Confab in pictures

Crimea crisis: Ukrainian women to deny Russians of sex

Political and economic sanctions may not have dissuaded Russia from annexing Crimea, but a group of Ukrainian women has called for a different kind of embargo: no sex for Russian men.
“Don’t give it to a Russian,” is the name of the campaign, which aims to throw cold water on Moscow’s appetite for Ukrainian territory and draw attention to its actions in Crimea.
The campaign was launched on Facebook after Russia officially added the Black Sea peninsula to its map, brushing off international fury and fanning fears of further intervention in Russian-speaking parts of the former Soviet country.
“You need to fight the enemy in every way you can,” organisers urge fellow patriotic women on their website.
But there is more to the campaign than stopping cross-cultural liaisons.

“We tried to make it provocative because it attracts attention,” admits Irena Karpa, a Ukrainian writer, blogger and musician.
“The deeper true meaning is do not give away your dignity, your freedom, your motherland. It is more about (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and his policies, it is not racist,” she told AFP, acknowledging that ethnic Russians had taken part in the street revolt that ousted pro-Kremlin president Viktor Yanukovych in February.
The campaign was started by a group of “accomplished” women, said Karpa, including business owners, journalists and writers.
She said the phrase “don’t give it to a Russian” is a modern version of a line in one of the works of hugely popular Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko: “Fall in love, O dark-browed maidens, but not with the Moskaly (Russians).”
“We were inspired by our current situation, the annexation of Crimea, the huge appetite of Mr Putin, who is looking at our eastern border regions.”
The group’s Facebook page, which has garnered more than 2,300 likes, has swept the Internet and was also picked up by popular Russian newspapers.
- ‘More for us’ -
Some Russian men derided the plan, while others took offence.
“You shouldn’t ‘give it’ to people who are Soviet-style Putin supporters, not to all Russians. What do Russians have to do with this?… You yourself write this in Russian,” wrote Anton Grigoriev on the Facebook page.
On the Moscow website Lifewews.ru, known for its close links to Russia’s security agencies, a woman called Olga Silayeva wrote: “Don’t sleep with Russian men then, all the more for us.”
Organisers are also selling T-shirts with an image of two hands cupped together which, depending on how you look at it, resembles a prayer pose or a vagina.
“The money goes directly to buy supplies for our poorly financed army, Ukrainian women are trying to help our soldiers,” said Karpa.
The Ukrainian activists join a long line of women from Liberia, Kenya, Togo, Colombia and other countries who have in the past tried to use sex boycotts to sway men from the path of war.
The tradition dates all the way back to ancient Greece and Aristophanes’s play “Lysistrata”, in which women refuse to sleep with their men until they end the Peloponnesian war.
The bitter diplomatic crisis over Ukraine has highlighted the fractured identity of a country divided between Russian and Ukrainian speakers.
Karpa said she broke up with her last “imperialistic” Russian boyfriend after a quarrel over Moscow’s invasion of Georgia in 2008.

Senate Confirms Zenith Bank’s Emefiele As New Governor of Nigeria's Central Bank

The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday confirmed former Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Godwin Emefiele as the new Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN).
President Goodluck Jonathan nominated Emefiele to the Senate on February  20th  2014, the same day he ousted then Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi on   allegations of financial reckless and misconduct.
Confirming the president’s nominee, President of the Senate, David Mark expressed assurance that Emefiele would lead the bank “without fear or favour”.
Emefiele will take over the reins of CBN from Dr. Sarah Alade, the most senior deputy governor at the bank who has been Governor in acting capacity since Sanusi’s suspension.

Pope Francis sacks "Bling Bishop" over luxury lifestyle

Pope Francis has indefinitely suspended Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Diocese of Limburg,known as "The Bling Bishop" after controversies surrounding his lifestyle .This came after the 53 year old Bishop spent a whooping $42m on a luxury residence  & reportedly dropped $15,000 on his bathtub alone.

The quarters includes a museum, conference halls, a chapel and private apartments,The project was approved by his predecessor and was initially valued at an estimated $7.5 million, but the final bill rose to $42 million, including a $1 million garden.Last year over 4,000 signed an open letter criticising him for using Church offering to fund his luxury lifestyle..

He is also accused of giving false statements in court about an expensive Ist class flight he took to India to visit poor communities. Pope Francis decided to have him step-down pending the conclusion of investigations.The Vatican didn't say how long he would spend away from the diocese of Limburg but it refused calls to remove him permanently

Wife, Daughter Of Transport Magnate, Iyare Motors, Abducted In Benin

The Police Command in Edo on Wednesday confirmed the abduction of the wife and daughter of a transport magnate, Abel Omoruyi, in Benin.
Omoruyi is the Chief Executive Officer of Iyare Motors.

Spokesman of the police command DSP. Moses Eguavoen, who confirmed the incident in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin, said that the victims were kidnapped by gunmen.

Eguavoen said that the police had received the complaint and had swung into action to release the victims.
“We are doing everything to rescue the victims unhurt and to arrest the perpetrators.”

He said that all black spots had been put under surveillance to block possible escape routes.

The woman and her daughter were said to have been kidnapped on Tuesday night in the Ugbor area of Benin on their way home after business.

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity, told NAN that the abductors were armed with sophisticated weapons and were yet to make contact with the family of the victims. (NAN)

£450 for a LOAF OF BREAD! That’s ASDA price

'The most expensive grocery shop I have ever done in my entire life'

ASDA has been forced to apologise after they charged a man £450 - for a single loaf of bread.

John Brown, 37, visited his local store on March 17 to pick up a few groceries - which should have cost under a fiver.

The warehouse worker paid for his shopping on a debit card at a self-service check-out, thinking nothing was amiss, but when he went to a cashpoint three days later his bank would not let him withdraw the full amount.

It wasn't until he checked back over his recent receipts that he realised his ASDA had actually cost him a staggering £453.19p.

“I only popped in to pick up a few items and decided to use one of the self-service checkouts so I didn’t have to hang around waiting in a queue,” John said.

"You sort of feel a bit rushed at those self-service checkouts so I didn't really check the receipt properly as I left.

“I didn't really see the decimal point, I thought I was paying about £4.50 - which seemed about right.”

The eggs cost John £1.50, the jam £1, one loaf of bread went through at 69p, but the other was priced at £450.

“It ended up being the most expensive grocery shop I have ever done in my entire life,” he added.

A spokeswoman for ASDA said the store would be offering John a full refund.

“A system glitch meant that the bread was scanned at the wrong price,” she said.

“It goes without saying that we’re sorry for any inconvenience caused to Mr Brown. We have offered him a gesture of goodwill to treat himself on his next visit.”

Yobo’s flat horrifies landlord

A landlord was horrified when he saw the state in which a penthouse flat leased in the name of ex-Everton player Joseph Yobo had been left.

There were burn marks on the carpet, a dirty kitchen and bathroom, and holes in the wall left from a flat-screen television.

But the former Everton star says he has never lived in the apartment in South Ferry Quay, close to Liverpool Marina, nor even been there. According to him, his younger brother, Gideon, paid the rent.

The keys to the flat were handed back to the letting agent over the weekend, Liverpool Echo reports. Landlord Ray Smith says he was shocked by what he found when he went to inspect it.

He said, “The state it’s been left in is just unbelievable.

“There’s bond money of £1,500, but by the look of it, it will need £5,000 to put all the damage right and I will have to call in industrial cleaners.”

There are iron marks on the floor, as if left by ironing, and holes in the wall left by flat-screen TVs.

“I’ve never come across anything like this before and I’m just so shocked. The place looks as if it’s been burgled.”

Former Everton defender Yobo, who is now on loan to Norwich from Turkish side Fenerbahce, played his last game for the Blues in a Premier League draw at Stoke in May 2010.

He contacted the ECHO himself to defend his conduct, saying he had been helping out Gideon.

He said, “It’s my name on the lease, but I never lived at the flat and I’ve never even been there.

“The landlord doesn’t know me and he hasn’t spoken to Gideon about this. I have property too and the landlord should have gone to the letting agents if he was unhappy.”

Diezani jet scandal: Reps uncover second aircraft

Fresh revelations indicated on Tuesday that Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, maintained a second jet.

The jet, a  Global Express XRS plane, is  allegedly chartered specifically for her private and official trips overseas.

A return trip on  the  XRS plane is said to cost taxpayers €600,000.

The   jet  is different from the Challenger 850, which the House of Representatives said gulped N10bn  in the last two years to fly the minister.

Investigation by The PUNCH showed that the House Committee on Public Accounts stumbled on the second jet in the course of the ongoing probe into the N10bn expenditure on Challenger 850.

Findings also showed that the owners of Challenger 850 might have fled the country  shortly after the House ordered an investigation into the transaction between them and  Alison-Madueke.

It was gathered that the aircraft owners reportedly became jittery after the committee  declared its plan to summon them to assist in the investigation.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively last Sunday that the committee would summon the owners of the plane to testify before it.

Asked to comment on the issue, the Chairman of the committee, Mr. Solomon Olamilekan, told our correspondent that  he was “shocked by the  latest information.”

“We have heard that the owners of the Challenger have hurriedly left the country. The information is just reaching the committee; but, we are still holding our preliminary meetings,” he stated.

Olamilekan, who confirmed that the committee had uncovered a second jet, added that they were   trying to establish how many trips it made outside the country.

“We are still holding our preliminary meetings. We have to put all the facts together and agree on the mode of the hearing first.

“The question on  when to invite the minister will come after the meetings. We are still meeting.”

However, a document our correspondent obtained in Abuja on Tuesday, indicated that Alison-Madueke flew  in Global Express XRS on two occasions in 2011.

She chartered the same jet twice in 2013 on a return trip bill of €600,000 per trip.

For example, on March 21, 2011, she flew to London with the jet from  the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

On board the jet   with her were two people,  Imotimi Agama and Haruna Momoh.

The aircraft returned to Nigeria from London on March 23, conveying the same passengers.

Another trip on March 9, 2013 departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos  en route to London.

The passengers were Alison-Madueke, Abubakar Fari and  Momoh. The jet  returned to Nigeria on March 13 with the same passengers.

In Abuja,  lawmakers  are    asking how a serving minister raised the money to charter jets for overseas trips at the expense of the taxpayers.

One of them, who asked not to be named said,  “Nigerians deserve to know which law authorises  this type of  extravagance.

“Under which budgetary sub-head has she been chartering jets for her personal use?

“Where is the law that authorises a government minister to be flying around the world in chartered private jets?

“You are going to London, why did you not not use the British Airways or any other international airline?”

The PUNCH further learnt that those who accompanied Alison-Madueke on the trips would also be invited by the committee to assist with the investigation.

  Alison-Madueke is accused of spending about €500,000   monthly to maintain the first  aircraft.

 The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation  had on Monday denied the allegation but said it had   the legal right  to own or charter an aircraft for its operations.

“This practice is common and acceptable in the local and international business environment in which it operates. There is nothing prohibiting the NNPC from owning or chartering an aircraft,” the NNPC had said in a  statement by its Acting Group General Manager,  Public Affairs Division, Omar Ibrahim.

There was however  a new twist to the N19.7bn  Police Equipment Fund on Tuesday as the Police  denied   receiving the money from the  suspended   Central Bank Governor, Mallam  Lamido Sanusi.

 Sanusi, while defending allegations of financial recklessness levelled against him by the Financial Reporting Council, had listed the sum among funds he released to the  Ministry of Police Affairs to procure a helicopter and other equipment.

But  the police high command, which appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts in Abuja, denied knowledge of the money.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Air Wing, Mr. Ilesanmi Aguda, who stood in for the inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, simply replied “no knowledge” when the committee sought to confirm the payment.

Although he advised the committee to refer the inquiry to the Ministry of Police Affairs, the Chairman of the committee, Mr. Adeola Olamilekan, informed his colleagues that the said ministry had earlier denied the payment.

Olamilekan expressed surprise over the development, noting that it would appear that the money was missing since the supposed recipients had denied knowledge of it.

He said,  “If the IG  and the police ministry deny receipt of the said N19.7bn, then the committee can rightly assume that the money is missing, until proven otherwise.

“All the major actors involved in the alleged transaction, including the CBN have a case to answer.”

In ruling on the controversial money, the committee said it would summon Sanusi and the IG   to hear from them again before taking a final position.

In a separate case, the committee summoned the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Jonah Otunla; the Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Bright Okogu; and the CBN to explain the whereabouts of the N59.6bn released to the NNPC as subsidy claims.

While the budget office claimed to have paid the money to the NNPC, the corporation denied receiving it.

The committee acknowledged submissions by the NNPC, which indicated that  it    did not receive the money.

For it to dig into the matter further, the committee directed the corporation to write a formal letter denying that it received the money.

Ruling on the issue, the committee chairman said, “You (NNPC) will do us a formal letter explaining to the committee that at no time did you receive  N59.6bn. The  Deliotte accounting firm, in its report, claimed the fund was disbursed.

“Towards this direction, this committee hereby summons the CBN, AGF and budget office to explain why such sum of money was disbursed without any documentary evidence.

“The NNPC for now cannot be indicted until otherwise proven when the AGF and the budget office come out with evidence that the money was disbursed and cash backed.”

Drama as accused changes plea at point of sentencing

There was a mild drama at an Oshodi Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Tuesday as a man accused of stealing telephone hand sets changed his guilty plea as he was being sentenced.
The accused Segun Olanrewaju had earlier pleaded guilty to the theft of two mobile phones worth N80, 000.
Olanrewaju, 24, who resides at 23, Olufemi St., Yaba, was arraigned on March 4 and remanded him in Kirikiri Prisons after admitting the charge of theft.
The case was scheduled for facts and sentencing on Tuesday.
However, when the Magistrate, Akeem Fashola, was about to sentence him, he changed his plea, saying:“ I earlier pleaded guilty because I did not understand the charge.”
Fashola granted him bail in the sum of N50, 000 with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case to April 8 for mention.
The prosecutor, Cpl. Kehinde Olatunde, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on Feb. 25 at Oshodi. He alleged that the accused stole two phones belonging to one Mr Chibueze Igwe valued at N80, 000.
According to him, the accused tore the complainant’s bag and removed the phones.
Olatunde said the accused was later apprehended by the police the same day when he allegedly snatched another phone from a woman who was receiving a call.
“When Olanrewaju was arrested, seven phones were recovered from him, including the complainant’s phones.’’
According to the prosecutor, the accused was recently released from prison after spending six months for committing a similar offence.
The offence, he noted, contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
NAN also reports that Section 285 stipulates three years imprisonment for stealing

Ex-Senator charged with varsity admission racket

The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC on Tuesday re-arraigned a former Nigerian Senator, David Iornem, before an Abuja Federal High Court for allegedly duping some unsuspecting Nigerians of over N200million through foreign universities admission racket.
Iornem was arraigned before Justice Ahmed Mohammed on a 14-count criminal charge bothering on extortion and money laundering.
Counsel to ICPC, Mr Ebenezer Shogunle, told the court that Iornem ran two private foreign universities and duped some unsuspecting Nigerians through fraudulent admission offers.
Joined as first and second accused in the suit were the two universities: Island Open University and Commonwealth University of Belize.
Iornem was said to have conspired with one Bruce Duncan and others at large to commit the said crime.
They were alleged to have published advertisements in which they offered fraudulent admissions to some Nigerians.
The first accused was said to have acted as Consultant and Academic Adviser to the institutions.
The prosecutor said the universities were not accredited or authorised to operate in Belize.
“Iornem attempted to dupe the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, of $11,550 for the award of a doctorate degree in 2012.’’
He was also accused of fraudulently obtaining $5,000 from one Albert Oluwatoyin on the pretext that he had been offered university admission to pursue a doctoral degree in philosophy.
He was said to have also collected $6,800 from one Chief Victor Effiom for the same purpose.
The accused was said to have converted N34million proceeds of the illegal universities to acquire a building at Jikwoyi in Abuja in 2012.
Iornem also allegedly transferred $307, 000 derived from racketeering in the award of honorary degrees of Commonwealth University to acquire a 2-bedroom flat at No. 9, Offord Close in London.
Shogunle said the offences contravened the provisions of Section 15 (i) (a) (ii) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Iornem was arraigned in 2013 by the ICPC which later withdrew and amended the charges.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Justice Mohammed granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 and one surety in like sum.
He said the surety must be a civil servant not below Grade Level 08 and must swear to an affidavit of means.
He adjourned the case to May 14 for trial.

In Pictures: What happened to Dora Akunyili?

Professor Dora Akunyili, the former strong woman of National Agency for Food, Drug Administration Agency caused a stir when she appeared at the National Judicial Institute venue of the ongoing national conference in Abuja on Monday looking very pale and emaciated, a far cry from her usual vivacious self.
Many delegates could not recognise her at first glance as they were shocked by her almost ghoulish appearance.
Dora who also served as Information Minister and who was a failed senatorial candidate in her native Anambra state, had to introduce herself to some of the delegates who found it hard to recognise her.
She debunked earlier reports that she would miss the confab because of her illness.
On her facebook page on Tuesday, the former Iron Lady who as NAFDAC DG gave drug counterfeiters hell and whose tenure was globally celebrated for the clean up of the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry admitted that she has been ill: “I just came out of a major sickness, for which I thank Almighty God for delivering me. I know that God did that for a purpose.
“I am well now but only need time to put on more weight. However, I am strong enough for this Conference and I look forward to collaborating with other delegates to chart the way for a better Nigeria,” added the former Minister who is also one of the few Ministers who spoke up against the cabal that was playing dangerous games with the country when late President Umaru Yar’ Adua was sick.
She resigned from the cabinet of President Jonathan who succeeded Yar’Adua to contest Senatorial position in Anambra, her home State under the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance, but she lost the election to Dr. Chris Ngige of the APC.
Whatever happened to Dora?