Herdsmen invade prison, kill inmate

The Benue Prisons Service on Monday confirmed that herdsmen invaded its Jato-Aka Farm Centre and killed an inmate, one Tersoo Agidi.

ASP Stephen Nwanchor, Public Relations Officer, Benue Prisons Service, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi that the incident took place on Saturday at the farm centre.

Nwanchor said that the invasion was not a failed jail break attempt.

“This is a new farm centre established in January, 2017. The herdsmen invaded the place, destroyed property, shot and killed one Tersoo Agidi, an inmate.

“We have evacuated all the remaining inmates from the farm centre to Gboko, pending the outcome of the investigation.

“We are not taking anything for granted. My Controller of Prison is on top of the issue, and all relevant security operatives in the state have been notified,” Nwanchor said.

The PRO said the service was investigating the invasion to ascertain the remote cause, noting that no arrest had been made so far.

Nwanchor said the service had tightened security in and around all its facilities in the state, assuring that there was no cause for alarm.

EFCC Probe Details How Senate President Saraki And His Aides Embezzled N3.5B From Paris Club Loan Refunds

Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have formally named Senate President Bukola Saraki, a former Managing Director of Heritage Bank, Robert Mbonu, a firm, Melrose General Services Limited, the relationship manager to Mr. Saraki, Kathleen Erhimu, the deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Saraki, Gbenga Peter Makanjuola, as targets of an investigation into the embezzlement of as much as N19 billion that accrued as refunds to state governments that had made excess payments on loans obtained from international lenders, the London and Paris Clubs. 

Also named by the EFCC as players in the huge scandal are Kolawole Shittu, the supplier of a controversial Range Rover vehicle to Senator Saraki, as well as one Obiora Amobi and one Oladapo Joseph Idowu.

In a report forwarded to the Presidency and obtained by SaharaReporters, the EFCC wrote, “Mr. Robert Mbonu is alleged to have received the sum of N3.5 billion into his company's account (Melrose General Services Limited) from the [Nigerian Governors’ Forum] through Account 0005892453 domiciled in Access Bank.” The report identified “one Kathleen Erhimu [as] the Relationship Manager to Dr. Bukola Saraki's account with Access Bank.”

The elaborate EFCC report authenticates a series of reports in which SaharaReporters disclosed that Mr. Saraki as well as numerous governors colluded to pocket most of the billions of naira in refunds. Mr. Saraki had accused SaharaReporters of fabricating the report, claiming that the EFCC was not investigating him in relation to the loan refund fraud. However, the document forwarded to the Presidency by the EFCC outlined Mr. Saraki’s deep involvement in the still unfolding embezzlement saga.

A part of the EFCC document reported that, at a meeting, Senator Saraki had “introduced one Joseph Oladapo Idowu and Gbenga Peter Makanjuola his deputy chief of staff to [Ms. Erhimu] and Makanjuola thereafter introduced Mr. Robert Mbonu to Ms. Kathleen Erhimu.” The EFCC told the Presidency that Mr. Mbonu operated corporate accounts for Melrose General Services at Access Bank. The accounts, listed as  0005892453 and 0005653500, were until December 13, 2016 operated as business accounts, according to the EFCC report.

The report further disclosed that Halima Kyari, the head of “Private Banking Group” at Access Bank, “stated in a letter dated December 13, 2016, [that] Mr. Robert Mbonu requested a transfer of Melrose General Services Company account from Business Account to a Private Banking Group Platform as he was expecting huge funds into the account. We learned that Mr. Mbonu’s move was at the instance of Senator Saraki who desired the use of the Melrose General Services Company account to warehouse his cut of the funds that came from the London-Paris Club refunds.

The EFCC report stated, “Subsequently, on December 14, 2016, the sum of N3.5 billion was lodged into Melrose General Services Company account number 0005892453 domiciled with Access Bank from the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).”

According to the anti-corruption agency, Mr. Mbonu subsequently introduced Mr. Amobi and Mr. Makanjuola to Access Bank as representatives of Melrose General Services Limited. The purpose of the introduction, the EFCC found, was to enable the two men to do cash withdrawals from the account. The report stated that Mr. Amobi and Mr. Makanjuola soon made several cash withdrawals in tranches of N5 million and N10 million.

The EFCC report stated that Mr. Mbonu also requested that one Oluyemi Braithwaite, the owner of Reinex Bureau de Change, Caddington Capital Limited and Westgate Limited, provide dollars in exchange for the naira-denominated withdrawals from the erstwhile Melrose account. Mr. Mbonu, a front for Senator Saraki, asked Ms. Braithwaite to hand over the dollars to one Mr. Gbenga in Abuja.

According to the EFCC, Ms. Oluyemi Braithwaite sought out one Hassan Dantani Abubakar, a cousin of former military head of state, Abdulsalam Abubakar, to produce the dollars in exchange for the naira provided by Mr. Mbonu. Dantani Abubakar’s role in the saga is significant in establishing another tie to Senator Saraki. Mr. Abubakar, who operates a bureau de change, has had a longstanding relationship with Mr. Saraki. In 2015, several members of the senator’s security detail conspired to steal N300m that Dantani Abubakar was moving for Mr. Saraki. Most of the security operatives, officers of the Department of State Security (DSS), were subsequently arrested when it was established that they ambushed the illicit funds being transported to the senator. The EFCC report stated that Ms. Braithwaite had, over the phone, introduced Mr. Mbonu to Mr. Abubakar. In addition to operating a bureau de change (BDC), Mr. Abubakar also owns several companies, including Hamma Procurement Limited, Ashrab Nigeria Limited and Inspire Solar Application.

The EFCC report added that, on December 16, 2016, Melrose paid the sum of N246 million into an account, No. 2030756168, held by Mr. Abubakar’s company, Hamma Procurement Limited, at First Bank. In return, Hamma Procurement released the sum of $500,000 to one Mr. Gbenga in Abuja. Mr. Gbenga, an aide to Mr. Saraki, acknowledged receipt of the same amount, said the EFCC.

According to the anti-corruption agency, “on the 21st December, 2016, Ms. Oluyemi Braithwaite contacted Hassan Dantani Abubakar requesting for another transaction of $370,000. Melrose General Services Company transferred the sum of N181m to Inspire Solar Application. The $370,000 was handed over to one Mr. Dapo in Abuja.”

Providing more details of the intricate maneuvers used by Senator Saraki to move funds, the EFCC report noted: “That on the January 4th, 2017, Mbonu through Melrose General Services Company transferred the sum of N248, 500,000 to Caddington Capital Limited belonging to Ms. Oluyemi Braithwaite who transferred same to Hassan Dantani Abubakar's FCMB account, Ashrab Nigeria Limited for the sum of $500,000. The dollar equivalent was handed over to Mr. Kolawole Shittu in Abuja an amount reportedly used to purchase a bulletproof Range Rover luxury car recently seized by the Nigerian Customs.

“That on January 10, 2017, Mr. Robert Mbonu through Melrose General Services Company transferred the sum of N99, 820,000 to Caddington Capital Limited belonging to Ms. Oluyemi Braithwaite who transferred same to Hassan Dantani Abubakar's FCMB Ashrab Nigeria Limited for the sum of $200,000. The dollar equivalent was handed over to Peter Makanjuola in Abuja.

“That on December 19, 2016 there was a cash withdrawal of the sum of N50 million from Melrose General Services account via [a] cheque by Gbenga Peter Makanjuola.

“Also, the sum of $1,570,000 was received by the trio of Mr. Gbenga Peter Makanjuola, Mr. Kolawole Shittu and Mr. Oladapo Joseph Idowu at various times and locations at Abuja FCT.
“That on the December 26, 2016, Mr. Robert Mbonu called Mrs. Kathleen Erhimu of Access Bank requesting her to source for a customer that would have the sum of $500,000 in exchange for the Naira equivalent. She introduced Mr. Robert Mbonu to Acarast Commercial Limited and Capital Field Investment to help him source for dollars.

“That on the 21st December, 2016, GCA Energy Limited paid the sum of $25,000 to Asterio Energy Services Limited which subsequently transferred the sum of $23,200 to Cactus Communication Limited account with Access Bank.

“The MD of Sought-After International Synergy Limited, Julius Okedele, stated that Mr. Kelechi Edomobi of Acarast Commercial Enterprises, contacted him and requested to purchase dollars after the transfer of N73,950,000 to Sought-After International Synergy Limited. Mr. Edomobi gave him the account number of Cactus Communication Limited [at] Access Bank as the nominated account to receive the dollar equivalent of the sum of $149,000.

The EFCC remarked that their investigation revealed that Cactus Communication Limited “is owned and operated by Joseph Oladapo Idowu, an aide to Bukola Saraki.” The agency further reported “Mr. Kelechi Edomobi also transferred the sum of N1m on January 15, 2017 to Joseph Oladapo Idowu's personal account number 0001679877 with Access Bank Plc.

“That Asterio Energy Services Limited on 21st and 22nd December, 2016 transferred $100,000 and $85,000 to Bhaskar Devji Jewelers LLC in Dubai respectively,” noting that this was “the same company that Dr. Bukola Saraki repeatedly made transfers to from his Black Card Account.”

According to the EFCC, “Cactus Communication Limited on December 30, 2016 paid the sum of $59,660.67 to Bhaskar Devji Jewelers LLC in Dubai.” In addition, the agency’s report disclosed that Asterio Energy Services Limited had transferred $46,000, $39,000 and $37,620 respectively to Cactus Communication Limited on January 20, 30 and 31, 2017.

“Based on the foregoing findings, it is clear that Robert Mbonu, the Managing Director of Melrose General Services Company, and his company were used to help divert proceeds of unlawful activities under the guise of payment for contractual obligations with the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF),” the EFCC wrote in the report to the Presidency. The agency’s report added “all payments received by Melrose General Services Company from the NGF have hitherto been diverted directly via cash withdrawals and indirectly through transfers by Gbenga Peter Makanjuola, Kolawole Shittu and Oladapo Joseph Idowu who are principal aides of the Senate President.

“Furthermore, other payments from Melrose General Services Company [have] also been linked to companies that Dr. Bukola Saraki has interest in and [carries] out transactions with. This includes the sum of $183,000 which was transferred to Bhaskar Devji Jewelers, Dubai, a company Dr. Bukola Saraki had repeatedly made payments to.”

Added the EFCC: “Also, the sum of N200 million was transferred to Wasp Networks Limited that subsequently transferred the sum of N170 million to Xtract Energy Services Limited, a company that routinely made deposits into Dr. Bukola 's Access Bank United States Domiciliary Account.”

In its conclusion, the EFCC stated that a “prima facie case of conspiracy to retain the proceeds of unlawful activities and money laundering contrary to Sections 15(3) and 18(9) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2004 can be established against the aforementioned suspects.” It added that its operatives were investigating the personal accounts of the suspects, including Mr. Saraki.

Epidemic Breakout At Queens College Leaves 1,222 Students Sick

A recent laboratory report has shown that since the beginning of January 2017, over 1,222 students of Queens College (QC) in Yaba, Lagos State have been treated at the school’s clinic for abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and diarrhea.

Sixteen students have been admitted to various hospitals in the country, with one currently in the intensive care unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

This was revealed in a statement released by Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, the president-general of Unity Schools’ old students’ association. The statement claimed that a recent analysis carried out has shown that the water sources in the school are contaminated by different forms of e-coli and salmonella pathogens. It added that 23 of the 40 kitchen workers have tested positive for amoebiasis, 3 positive for salmonella and one positive for a tapeworm infection.

“The analysis also indicates that the boreholes that provide principal sources of water for the school are too shallow and too close in proximity to the sewage systems, to which the contamination has been traced,” the statement read.

A source at the school who reached out to Urchbaba attributed the breakout to the school’s poor hygienic environment. One of the kitchen workers also claimed that the school principal, Mrs. Lami Amodu, buys spoilt fish and molded rice at cheap rates for the students’ consumption. She believed that this must have also contributed to the current epidemic in the college.

Two Students Dead Already

QC came under public scrutiny when two of its students were reported dead due to their exposure to the unhealthy and unhygienic environment of the school.

Students Vivian Osuinyi and Bithia Itulua died on February 15 and February 22, respectively.

Before the news of Bithia’s death was reported in the media, and a day after Vivian’s death became known to the public, QC management had, in a press release, stated that no student of the school died and urged the public to disregard any report about an epidemic in the school.

The school management, in a bid to protect the image of the institution, sent text messages to the parents of the students disclaiming any death.

This move infuriated Vivian’s father, who claimed that the school was trying to cover up the death of his daughter as though her life did not matter to the management of the school.

Mr. Osuinyi told Vanguard newspaper that he was informed about his daughter’s condition only when it had gotten critical. The school had been treating her for malaria days before her parents were contacted. Vivian died four days after she was released to her parents.

Mrs. Itulua, whose daughter died eight days after the school informed her of her child’s deteriorating health condition, has similar story. In an interview with Vanguard newspaper, the bereaved mother said the school was treating her child with analgesic while she was seriously bitten down by a pelvic infection.

“My daughter was at the point of death when I eventually got to the school. She was saying incoherent words. We took her to hospital where diagnosis revealed that she had infections that affected her pelvis. My daughter died on February 22 and was buried the next day”, the mother said.

Bithia’s two sisters, Abigail and Blessing also blamed the school management for the death of their sister.

Abigail, the elder sister in SSS 3, said, “I blame the school authorities for my sister’s death. She had been complaining of headaches and a high temperature while in school. All they did was give her analgesic. It was after she refused to eat and her temperature became extra hot that my parents were called. If they had given her sick permit on time, maybe she would not have died.”

Another student of the school, who requested anonymity, told journalists that the real cause of the two students’ deaths was the contaminated water used in preparing their meals.

Management Disregards Government Directives, Moves To Re-open March 19

Despite the Lagos State government’s recommendation that the school postpone classes till the premises are cleared of bacterial infections, the management of the school has asked its JSS 3 and SSS 3 students to resume without taking necessary precautions to ensure the students will be safe when they return to school.

Visa Denials Prevent African Delegates From Attending Africa Business Summit In US

The annual African Global Economic and Development Summit held at the University of Southern California featured no African delegates this year, as all were denied visas.

The Independent reports that some 100 African delegates were barred from entering the US.

The conference, attended by business leaders and government officials, aims to promote business investment and sustainable economic development in Africa.

Summit chairperson Mary Flowers disclosed to Voice of America that speakers from Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and South Africa were denied entry into the US.

“Usually we get 40 percent that get rejected but the others come,” she said.

“This year it was 100 percent. Every delegation. And it was sad to see, because these people were so disheartened.”

Voice of America reports that the US State Department declined to comment on the incident.
It remains unclear why delegates were denied visas.

Nigerian Senate Rejects Magu Again As EFCC Chairman

The Nigerian Senate has again rejected Ibrahim Magu as the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Magu was rejected by a majority of the Senate membership after over an hour of grueling screening at the National Assembly in Abuja.

4 Suicide Bombers Die As Multiple Explosions Rock Maiduguri

Four suicide bombers died in Maiduguri, early on Wednesday morning, in bomb explosions they triggered.   Members of the Civilian Joint Task Force told Urchbaba that the blasts occurred at Usmannati and Alkunmi on the outskirts of Maiduguri at about 1:30 am. 

Civilian Joint Task Force sources also disclosed to Urchbaba that another suicide bomb attempt was foiled in Alkali village in the Muna general area.

Cameroon Opposition Politician Reported Missing

Joseph Wirba, an opposition member of the Cameroon national assembly from the Anglophone Northwest region, has gone missing.

The Africa Review reports that Mr. Wirba was absent from the opening session of the 2017 legislative year on Monday. Local media outlets reported that he fled the country in fear of being arrested for his activism on behalf of the rights of English-speaking Cameroonians.

The legislator was allegedly last seen in public last week.

Mr. Wirba, a member of the opposition Social Democratic Front, made waves in Cameroon after delivering a two-hour speech in parliament denouncing the government’s marginalization of Cameroon’s Anglophone community. He vowed that the oppressed Anglophones would resist all attempts by the government to infringe upon their rights.

The maverick politician then organized a rally in support of Anglophone rights, attended by some 5,000 people. He reiterated his message delivered to parliament, urging those present to fight for Anglophone rights and resist further marginalization.

English-speaking Cameroonians have been protesting since October 2016 demanding greater autonomy from the majority-Francophone government. The demands range from a return to the federalist system, which was scrapped in 1972, and complete secession from the Cameroonian state.

As the protests escalated the Paul Biya government began cracking down on dissidents. Prominent Anglophone activists were arrested and detained in unknown locations. In an attempt to silence the protesters, the government issued a ban on the internet in primarily Anglophone regions, leaving millions of Cameroonians without internet access for over fifty days.

Police Arrest 59-Year Old Traditional Circumcision ‘Expert’ After Failed Attempts To Extort Indigent Complainant

The Bayelsa Police Command on Monday confirmed the arrest of Ziworitin Keke, a 59-year old traditional health practitioner who allegedly cut off the genitals of a nine-month-old baby during circumcision.

Joseph Michael, the father of the victim, had been asked to raise between N5,000 and N10,000 before the case could be investigated.

Michael told Urchbaba that the real reason the suspect had been moving about freely after committing the crime was that he had no money to give to the police.

“I had gone to the Krokrosei Police Division to report the matter, but they asked me to bring some money before a case file can be opened.  They refused to entertain my complaint because I had no money.”

He said he told the police he would try to raise the money to pursue the matter but that he first had to run around to treat the baby who was in critical condition at the hospital.

“It is unfortunate that Nigeria Police work this way, it was the International Federation of Women Lawyers that wrote a petition what woke them up and we heard in the community that they arrested him on Saturday 11 March for an incident that happened in early February,” Michael said.

DSP Asinim Butswat, the spokesman for the police, said on Monday that Mr. Keke was in custody and an investigation underway.

“We arrested the suspect following a report of the circumcision incident, he is currently in our custody, and he was arrested on Saturday, and hopefully after investigation, the prosecution will follow subject to the outcome of the investigation,” he explained.

On the delay in arresting the suspect, the police spokesman said that the police got the report shortly after the incident in February, but the family was preoccupied with seeking medical care for the baby.
It will be recalled that the incident occurred at Odenwari, a coastal settlement in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa, on February 5.

“We got the report earlier from Krokrosei Division of the Command in Southern Ijaw which is the nearest Division, we have been working with the family on the case,” Butswat said.

Mrs. Eudora Michael, the mother of the baby, said on Monday that her nine-month-old, Oyintari Michael, was at risk and in excruciating pain, and desperately needs medical help.

The 35-year old said on Monday at Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa that she and her husband were indigent and cannot afford the specialized care the baby needs to stay alive.

“Since this sad incident occurred in February this year, we have been running around to raise money.  We have borrowed up and down and are in big debt, my husband has gone to the village to gather money, but people are not forthcoming.  People who had given us loan are not willing to give us more when we have not paid what we borrowed.”

She said her family was dependent on the mercy of doctors who are spending their own money when they see that her family is unable to provide the drugs they prescribe, the baby is in pain and always crying, cannot urinate and his bladder is swollen.

“I have to stand near the bed or bend down to breastfeed him so that the pipes connected into his genitals [do not] shift and go off and further complicate the situation,” she said.

She appealed to the wife of Bayelsa Government, Dr Rachael Dickson, and kind-hearted Nigerians to assist financially with medical bills to save her baby, pointing out that her jobless husband has no means to settle the high medical costs.

President Buhari Lands In Kaduna, Ferried To Abuja In A Presidential Chopper

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari today returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom where he has been receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment for  50 days.

Mr. Buhari landed at the air force base in Kaduna airport amidst tight security. President Buhari plane 5N-FGT, a wide body presidential Boeing Business Jet landed at exactly 7:41 am Nigerian time. The President who was wearing a black kaftan alighted from the plane to greet Kaduna state officials and armed forces personnel who had been waiting for his arrival; he later boarded a presidential helicopter that took off to the federal capital territory seat of power in Abuja.

 Our sources in Kaduna said the President didn’t appear healthy at all.

The president left Nigeria on January 19 for a 10-day vacation, but that was extended indefinitely when he sent a letter to the National Assembly asking for more time.

Urchbaba has reported on the nature of the president’s illness and the struggle within the president’s inner cycle to get back into the country despite medical advice against a quick return.
Aso Rock insiders have been worried that the longer the president remained out of the country, the greater the rumors about his closely-guarded condition.

Security Operatives Storm Senator’s Residence Over Southern Kaduna Killings

Senator Danjuma Tella La’ah (PDP-Kaduna South) says his Kaduna home was invaded on Thursday by about 100 people, including armed regular and mobile policemen.

“They came in trucks, buses and pick-up vans around 5 am, forced my security man at gunpoint to open the gate,” he said in a statement issued in Kaduna, adding that they operated at gunpoint and a destructive search on the property without a court warrant.

A source in Abuja confirmed the visitors to have been “top investigators and operatives of Department of State Services and Nigerian Police Force” who made the visit in connection with the Southern Kaduna killings.

The Senator said the visitors used knives to tear open his furniture, broke the louvers on his doors, tossed things around, destroyed the delicately plastered ceiling of his bedroom and entered the roof.

“In the course of their search, they took away a pump action gun with its official permit granted me since 2008.  My two nephews, Friday Batan and Samson Tanko, who were in the house were manhandled by the armed security personnel and taken away to an unknown place. I am yet to establish contact with them.

"Also my wristwatches, expensive jewelry belonging to my wife have [been] carted away. I am yet to ascertain the extent of missing valuables in residence. I was informed about the incident while I was in Abuja. I cannot also establish if something very incriminating has not been planted in my home as part of the orchestrated plot not only to rubbish my integrity but criminalize me with the aim of prosecuting me
Senator La’ah attributed the raid to his calling Governor Nasir El-Rufai to order this year over his clearly biased stand against Southern Kaduna natives in the ongoing genocide there, adding that it followed various interrogations and psychological harassment the SSS in Abuja has meted out to him since then.

“It is on record that some Christian clerics from Southern Kaduna have also been quizzed by the SSS over their condemnation of the killings of members of their congregation,” he said.  “Some youth leaders, journalists, and social commentators all from Southern Kaduna have been arrested and charged to court over innocuous comments on the ongoing killings in Southern Kaduna starting from last year.”

He said he wanted to put on notice that not only are law abiding, harmless natives of Southern Kaduna being maimed, killed and their communities destroyed by Fulani herdsmen, noting that Governor El-Rufai has traced some of the killers back to some African countries and paid them sums of money, and is making it a crime for anyone to mention the killings or call for lawful self-defence in the face of his failure to stop them.

“The Governor has not only made it a monopoly to be the one making very inciting and divisive statements over [these] killings, his clampdown on vocal voices of Southern Kaduna is making it harder for the much-needed mutual confidence on the parts of the beleaguered people of Southern Kaduna to look upon him as a fair and trustworthy leader,” the Senator said.

He called on all the people of Southern Kaduna not to take the law into their hands no matter the provocation.”  Instead, he urged them to remain focused, hopeful and prayerful while keeping a watchful eye on their communities.

Our source, however, indicated that the security operatives who raided Senator La’ah’s residence obtained some helpful “evidence,” but did not say what it was.
He said investigators had been following the lawmaker since last year.

Al-Shabaab Leader Surrenders

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on Thursday confirmed that the leader of the militant group al-Shabaab has surrendered to government forces in Baidoa town in southern Somalia.

The AU mission confirmed that Hussein Mukhtar surrendered to the Somali National Army (SNA) on Tuesday following a government amnesty offer for militants to surrender.
“AMISOM calls on al-Shabaab fighters to heed the government’s amnesty," AMISOM said in a statement.
It called on al-Shabaab militants to lay down their weapons and join the Somali people to rebuild their county.

“AMISON hopes that other sons and daughters of Somalia who have been misled into terrorist acts will emulate the courageous action of Mukhtar," it said.

The Somali government announced an amnesty offer in 2014 to members of the al-Qaida linked group al-Shabaab, which had been launching attacks on government forces and AMISOM.

NAN recalls that al-Shabaab once controlled much of southern and central Somalia and imposed a harsh form of Islamic law that banned music and led to public amputations for accused thieves.

Government and African Union troops have recaptured most of the territory, but the militants were still able to kill several members of parliament last year, and launch two major assaults on the presidential palace.

The Somali government first offered amnesty to al-Shabaab fighters last September, after al-Shabaab’s top leader Ahmed Godane was killed in a U.S. airstrike.

Since Godane’s death, al-Shabaab’s leaders have been divided, but it has remained a strong fighting force and challenge to the Somali government.

In words directed at the militants, then president Hassan Mohamud said he knows many al-Shabaab members joined for “reasons that made sense at the time,” including the need for money, or a sense they were proving themselves to be good Muslims or good Somalis.

But, he added, “What you did does not have to dictate the rest of your life.”

Mohamud acknowledged some Somalis are uneasy about amnesty for al-Shabaab members. He said those who defect go through a process of “supervised rehabilitation” and are monitored by Somali security forces to ensure they continue to reject the militant group.

He asked Somalis to “accept the need for concession and to exercise forgiveness” in order to close “a dark chapter in Somalia’s history."

Senate To Probe Alleged Brutalization Of NYSC Member In Zamfara State

The Senate Thursday asked its committee on Youth and Sports to investigate the circumstances that led to the alleged brutalization of a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Esi Uwakwe serving in Zamfara State.

The mandate followed the adoption of a motion by Senator Philip Aduda (FCT) which drew the attention of the upper chamber to the incident.

Aduda said that the way the alleged brutalization of Uwakwe, serving in Kaura Namada, Zamfara State, was portrayed in the social media attracted his attention.

He said that the alleged brutalization of Uwakwe had been trending in the social media for over two days.

Uwakwe was said to have been brutalized by the police purportedly at the instance of an influential indigene of the area he was carrying out his primary assignment.

Aduda prayed the Senate to look into the matter with a view to finding out the truth about the incident and why Uwakwe was redeployed from Zamfara to Anambra State.

He noted that it would be unbecoming of the police to brutalize a corps member on national assignment if established to be true.

The FCT senator said that he would not have bothered to raise the issue but for the negative implication of the report.

He insisted that NYSC members must be protected wherever they were deployed to serve the country.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, said that the first step should be for the Senate to establish the fact of the report.

Ekweremadu said that would not jump into the matter without finding out the truth about what actually happened to Uwakwe.

Although he agreed that NYSC members on national service should be protected, Ekweremadu said that the Senate should first resolve to mandate its relevant committee to investigate the matter.

The lawmakers unanimously adopted the resolution that the Youth and Sports Committee should investigate the matter and report back to the Senate in plenary in one week.

Anglophone Cameroon Enters 50th Day Without Internet

Anglophone Cameroonians have now gone 50 days without internet access due to an indefinite internet blackout imposed by the Paul Biya government in January.

The internet ban took effect on January 18 as protests against the Cameroonian government’s marginalization of the minority Anglophone population gained momentum.

While the government claimed that it suspended internet service in Anglophone regions of Cameroon in order to prevent internet users from “inciting riots,” the protests were largely peaceful, only to be met with brutal government repression.

Before shutting down internet access in the Anglophone-majority Northwest and Southwest regions, the Cameroonian government arrested and detained Anglophone activists Agbor Balla Nkongho and Fontem Neba, leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, on charges of treason, secession, and terrorism. Shortly thereafter, the government arrested Supreme Court Justice Paul Ayah for his support of the Consortium.

Other activists, many of them college students, were whisked away by soldiers and police officers and taken to unknown destinations.

As the government’s crackdown on dissent and internet access has continued unabated, activists have called on the United Nations to take action on behalf of the marginalized English-speaking Cameroonians.

The few Anglophone Cameroonians able to access the internet are using the hashtag #BringBackOurInternet to call attention to the issue.

N541.8 billion Debt: Three Nigerian Banks Set To Take Over Etisalat

Despite the intervention of the Nigerian Communication Commission, NCC, to broker a peaceful resolution between Etisalat Nigeria and a consortium of banks, it appears the effort may not have yielded a truce, as the banks are set to take over the telecoms firm today (Wednesday), URCHBABA learnt

The consortium of some foreign and Nigerian banks, including Guaranty Trust Bank, Access Bank, and Zenith Bank, have been having a running battle with the mobile telephone operator over a loan facility totaling $1.72 billion (about N541.8 billion) obtained in 2015.

The loan, which involved a foreign-backed guaranty bond, was for Etisalat to finance a major network rehabilitation and expansion of its operational base in Nigeria.

However, following the failure of the company to meet its debt servicing schedule agreed since 2016, the three Nigerian banks, prodded by their foreign partners, reported Etisalat to banking sector regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and its communications sector counterpart, the NCC.

Although Etisalat blamed its inability to fulfill its obligation to the banks on the current economic recession in Nigeria, the banks said their attempt to recover the loan, by all means, was fuelled by the pressure from the Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, demanding immediate cut down on the rate of their non-performing loans.

A senior official of one of the banks who spoke with URCHBABA late on Tuesday said one of the options they have proposed to Etisalat management as a middle way out of the crisis was for it to request for a bankruptcy status.

The official, who requested that his name should not be revealed since he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the consortium, said the bankruptcy option would require having receivership management appointed by the banks to oversee its operations.

But, the NCC appears not to be favorably disposed to the takeover proposal, the source said, as it believes Etisalat was not only a viable going concern but also willing and able to negotiate its loan servicing.

However, a top source at the NCC said late Tuesday that the commission had approved the takeover, which is expected to occur today.

DPO’s Kidnappers Demand N50 Million Ransom

Kidnappers of Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Valentine Mbalu of the Nigeria Police Force’s C Division in Asaba, Delta State have allegedly established contact with the family of the victim, demanding N50 million in exchange for his freedom.

Mr. Mbalu was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Sunday while he was traveling from Agbor to Asaba. He was blocked by armed kidnappers, who disarmed him and whisked him away to an unknown destination.

Confiding in Urchbaba, a senior police officer disclosed that Mr. Mbalu’s family established contact with the kidnappers on Monday, who demanded a N50 million ransom payment.

According to our police source, the negotiations are still ongoing.
While the identities of the culprits have not yet been confirmed, the police source believes they might be Fulani herdsmen, who have been terrorizing the state.

When contacted, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Andrew Aniamaka, said a police team has gone on a mission to rescue the DPO unhurt and smoke out those behind the act.

It would be recalled that the Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration has held several meetings with the leadership of the Fulani herdsmen across the state, none of which have yielded concrete results, as kidnappers continue to wreak havoc throughout the state.

How Sambo Dasuki’s Aide, Others Received N5.6 billion From NSA Office, Witness Tells Court

A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Nicholas Ashinze, a former aide to ex-National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, on Tuesday, told the Federal High Court, Abuja, how Mr. Ashinze and others got N5.6 billion from the Office of National Security Adviser.

Hassan Seidu, the first witness who is an EFCC operative, said he was part of the team that conducted the search in Mr. Ashinze’s house, located at No 67 Vision Court Estate Apo Abuja.
Mr. Ashinze, a retired colonel, is standing trial along with an Austrian, Wolfgang Reinl, Edidiong Idiong and Sagir Mohammed, on a 13-count charge of corruption and money laundering to the tune of N36.8 billion.

Other defendants in the case are five companies – Geonel Integrated Services Limited, Unity Continental Nigeria Limited, Helpline Organisation, Vibrant Resource Limited and Sologic Integrated Service Limited.

The witness said that on December 23, 2015, Mr. Ashinze was brought to their office for an interview and after the interview, he was asked if he would be able to respond to allegations of money laundering leveled against him.

He said after accepting, Mr. Ashinze’s statement was recorded, but it was his colleague, Mohammed Goje, who administered the precautionary word to him where he signed and voluntarily wrote his statement.

Mr. Seidu further said that following Mr. Ashinze’s statement, they conducted a search at his house at Apo where some items were recovered.

When the prosecuting counsel, Ofem Uket, sought to tender the search warrant as evidence, the move was objected to by the defence.

L.S. Nwoye, counsel to Mr. Ashinze, objected to the admissibility of the document, saying it had no date.
Mr. Nwoye sited Section 147 of Administrative of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which stated that a document must have date on it for identification.

He said even though the search warrant emanated from a magistrate, it was not addressed to anybody, and the name of the magistrate was not written.

The court said issues raised are omissions of details. Justice Gabriel Kolawale admitted the search warrant in evidence as exhibit two.

He also admitted items recovered which are one black diary, one blue notebook and one page of an unsigned document, written in red ink dated 17 April 2014 in evidence as Exhibit 2a, b, and c respectively.

The witness also said the one page of an unsigned document written in red ink (exhibit 2c) contained the list of 5 companies, their banks and account numbers of each of the company with the amount that has been transferred to them.

He said they got an analysis of it and found out that N3.125 billion was transferred to the account of Geonel Integrated Services (5th defendant) with Heritage Enterprise Bank from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

“N120 million was moved to Unity Continental Nigeria Limited (6th defendant) on April 22, 2014, and N150 million in favor of Law Partners and Associates with Zenith Bank on April 22, 2014.

“N500 million was also transferred from Geonel with Heritage Enterprise Bank to Helpline account (7th defendant) on April 24, 2014, and N100million was transferred from Heritage Enterprise to GTB account of Vibrant Resources Ltd (8th defendant) on April 23, 2014.

“On April 23, 2014, Sologic Integrated (9th defendant) got N120million from Geonel’s account at Heritage Enterprise, and Law Partners also received N450million another payment which is not in the document on May 5, 2014.

“The N450 million was transferred from Geonel’s account domiciled in Heritage Enterprise, and it was the only transaction not captured in the document,” Mr. Seidu said.

The witness further stated that they found out that the document (Exhibit 2c) was prepared three days after N3.125 billion was given value in the account of Geonel Integrated Service Limited.

He said they also found out that N2.5 billion was transferred from CBN to Geonel’s account on Feb 16, 2015, and the contract was awarded from ONSA to Geonel Integrated Services.

He said the N3.125 billion was for a purported contract given to Geonel as mobilization fee in securing 22 dams in Nigeria and the N2.5 billion was for full and final payment of the purported contract.

When asked by the prosecution the relationship of the defendants to the companies, the witness said Unity Continental Nigeria Ltd was owned by Sagir Mohammed (4th defendant) who is a course mate and friend to Mr. Dasuki.

“Law Partners and Associate belong to Barrister Edidiong the 3rd defendant who is a friend and associate to Dasuki.

“Helpline Organisation is owned by Bello Fadile, who was formerly second in command to Dasuki.
“Vibrant Resources belongs to Abubakar Dasuki, junior brother to Dasuki and Sologic Integrated Services Nig. Ltd belongs to Bello Ibiyemi Abayomi, son of Bello Fadile,” he said.

Mr. Seidu said after execution of the search on Dec. 29 2015, “we asked Ashinze if he would make a statement about the items recovered from his house, he accepted, and we recorded it.”

The prosecution applied to tender the defendant’s statement in evidence.
Mr. Nwoye, however, objected to the admissibility of the statement based on Section 6 of ACJA which demands voluntary giving of a statement.

He argued that Section 17 (1) and (2) requires the presence of a lawyer before a statement can be taken and that the EFCC investigators did not counsel him on the need to keep silent.

Mr. Nwoye insisted that the witness did not at any time inform the 1st defendant of his right to bring his lawyer before making a statement.

The prosecution said Mr. Ashinze was not compelled to write the statement in EFCC’s office rather he voluntarily wrote it.

Justice Kolawale after hearing the arguments, adjourned till March 21 for ruling on the admissibility of the statement and continuation of examination of the witness.

Heritage Bank Sends Ali Baba's Wife On Loan-Recovery Suspension

Heritage Bank of Nigeria has taken an unprecedented step against one its executive directors, Mary Akpobome, who happens to be the wife of popular Nigerian comedian Ali Baba: an indefinite suspension to go and recover loans she signed off on.

Heritage Bank is facing difficulties arising from insider abuse and self-dealing.  Saharareporters listed it as undergoing distress in 2016.

Several bank sources told Urchbaba that Mrs. Akpobome and powerful bank management were abusing their positions and engaging in fraud. But today, Mrs. Akpobomeand an unnamed account officer were sent packing leading her to clear her desk because she anticipates that the task was so impossible she may not return to the bank.

The bank management initially refused to touch the powerful executive directors, preferring to go after staff members suspected of revealing the bank's problems.

Urchbaba learned that the bank Managing Director, Ifie Sekibo has not been to work since January, and was reported to be ill.  Some of the sources within the bank, however, said his prolonged absence might have been to enable Mrs. Akpobome to be thrown under the bus as investors’ confidence has waned over the lack of action concerning top management staff fingered in fraudulent transactions.
It would be recalled that only last week, an Abuja company petitioned the Federal High Court and the Central Bank of Nigeria to liquidate the bank on account of its inability to meet customers’ demands.  
Geonel Integrated Services Limited, a security services company, cited its own experience, claiming it has over N1.8billion and another $85,859 trapped in various Heritage Bank accounts.  

Senate Uncovers Alleged N10 Trillion Fraud In NNPC

The Senate has uncovered an alleged fraud of N10 trillion by staff of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in connivance with officials of some independent marketers and other key players in the petroleum sector between 2006 and 2016.

Against this backdrop, the Senate joint Committees on Petroleum (upstream and downstream) and that of Gas will this week begin a probe of the affected companies, heads of government agencies and parastatals.

The committee also said it had the support of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate leadership to carry out a thorough and holistic investigation on the alleged fraud and bring to book the perpetrators, stressing that the amount involved was huge enough to finance the country’s budget for two consecutive years.

Addressing journalists, weekend, on the alleged scam, Senator Kabiru Marafa, Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, who spoke for chairmen of the committees, said of the N10 trillion fraud, NNPC alone would account for N5.2 trillion it collected as subsidy from the Federal Government for importation of petroleum products, particularly Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, otherwise known as petrol between 2006 and 2016.

According to Senator Marafa, the NNPC will also account for the 445,000 barrels of crude oil allocated to it on yearly basis for local refining by the nation’s refineries.

Those fingered in the fraud by the Senate and already listed to appear before the committee during the planned public investigative hearing that will last a minimum of three days are past and present Chief Executive Officers of NNPC; Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN; Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS; Nigerian Customs Service; Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA; Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA and all Licensed Inspection Agencies.

Also to be invited by the committee are all bona fide end users, established and globally recognized large volume product trading companies; indigenous companies engaged in Nigeria oil and gas with trading of petroleum product expertise; product trading brokers; shipping companies and shops brokers, among others.

Gross under utilization of 445,000 barrels 
Speaking further, Senator Marafa, who was flanked at the briefing by Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (upstream), Senator Donald Tayo Alasoadura, APC, Ondo Central; Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, PDP, Akwa Ibom North-West; Senator Gershom Bassey, PDP, Cross River South and Philip Aduda, PDP, FCT, said available records before the committee showed that during the period under investigation, NNPC imported fuel into the country that was more than 40 per cent of the nation’s local consumption.

According to him, this is apart from gross under utilization of the 445,000 barrels it collected for local refining and consumption on yearly basis due to very low capacities of the four refineries in the country then.

Marafa said: “NNPC, being the custodian of crude oil resources of the nation, responsible for 51 per cent of petroleum products importation into the country over the years, aside the 445,000 crude allocation it gives itself on yearly basis for sales for local refining, must account for the N5.2 trillion which vailable records show that it has spent on subsidy on its own 51 per cent of petroleum products importation between 2006 and 2016.

“This is aside the N3.8 trillion spent on similar subsidy for independent marketers and about $1.5 billion yet to be accounted for by other key players in the industry.”

He disclosed that the committee had also discovered another dimension of fraud in the industry through the disappearance of PMS from storage leased by NNPC without any accountability and/or return of the value of the stolen product. According to him, there is a case of 100 million litres of PMS worth N14 billion stolen by two companies without any sanction against them by the NNPC.

Marafa threatened:  “This committee has established the loss of 100million litres of PMS from such storage arrangement. We expected NNPC to have taken action against the two companies that carried out the theft but since it has not, we, hereby, order it to do so immediately, precisely within this week, failure of which we shall make the whole details known to the public.

“All key players in the sector along with their collaborators who have taken the country for a ride during the period under review, must be brought to book through exhaustive investigation to be conducted soon because President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate leadership are very much interested in unmasking those behind the scam perpetrated during the Presidency of former Presidents Olusegun Obasajo, late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and by extension, the present Presidency.

“President Buhari is highly supportive of this move by the Senate and we shall not fail in carrying out the needed holistic investigation on obvious sharp practices in the sector. Needed documents for the onerous task are already in our possession.”

Marafa also disclosed that the whistle blower approach being adopted by the executive in unraveling such fraudulent practices of corrupt public officials, shall also be adopted in fishing out those involved in the oil sector massive fraud and the whistle-blowers will be compensated.

He also warned that strict sanctions awaited players in the sector who might want to frustrate the probe by deliberately refusing to honour invitation sent to them or conceal needed information.

Jonathan Denies Turning Down British Offer To Rescue Chibok Girls

Nigeria’s Immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan, has denied a report by British newspaper, the Observer, that he rejected an offer by the the British military to rescue more than 270 school girls abducted by the Boko Haram.

According to the Observer’s report, which was culled from its sister publication, the Guardian, the British Royal Air Force (RAF), in an operation code named Operation Turus, spotted the girls during air reconnaissance over northern Nigeria weeks after they were kidnapped, but the Jonathan administration turned down an offer to rescue them.

“The girls were located in the first few weeks of the RAF mission. We offered to rescue them, but the Nigerian government declined,” a source involved in the operation told the Observer.
The source claimed that the girls were tracked by aircraft as they gradually broken into smaller groups over the following months.

Details of meetings between British and Nigerian officials, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, also indicated that the government rebuffed international offers to rescue the girls.

According to the newspaper, while the government accepted aid package and assistance from Western countries, such as France, the U.S. and the UK in locating the girls, it dismissed offers for actions to be taken by these countries to rescue the girls.

“Nigeria’s intelligence and military services must solve the ultimate problem,” Mr. Jonathan was quoted as saying in a meeting with the UK’s then Africa minister, Mark Simmonds, on 15 May 2014.

A document with the details of a meeting on September 2014 in Abuja between Nigeria’s national security adviser at the time, Sambo Dasuki, and a former British Under Secretary of State shows that Operation Turus had reached a point where rescue was being discussed.

But the Jonathan administration did not respond to offers for help on the type of equipment that might be used or how weapon system should be deployed, the newspaper said.

But in a statement released late on Sunday by Mr. Jonathan’s media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, the former president dismissed the report as completely false.

He said the international collaboration to rescue the abducted girls involved neigbouring African countries such as Chad and Cameroon; adding that his administration was so supportive of the efforts that it allowed Western military to conduct reconnaissance flight over the country’s airspace.

“We can confidently say the lies in this report are self evident. This is because the international press as well as the Nigeria media actively covered the multinational efforts and collaboration which involved some of the major powers deploying their crack intelligence officers to work with our own security operatives, and those of our neighbours,” the statement explained.

The statement wondered why Mr. Jonathan would rebuff an offer to rescue the girls when he specifically wrote the leaders of some foreign power to assist in the searching for the abducted girls.

“We would wish to recall that this collaboration was made possible following letters personally written by former President Jonathan President Barack Obama of the United States, President Francois Hollande of France, Mr. David Cameron, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as well as personal contacts made to the Government of Israel and China, seeking their assistance in the search for the abducted Chibok girls.”

Boko Haram militias kidnapped the girls from the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State on April 14, 2014. Some of them escaped in the days after the abduction. Twenty-one of them were freed by the sect after a deal with the government last October.

About 200 of the girls are still missing.

Abuja Airport Closure: Foreign Airlines Insist Kaduna Not Safe For Operations

Barely 24 hours to the closure of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport 9NAIA), Abuja for total rehabilitation of its runway, foreign airlines have continued to shun the alternate airport, Kaduna, insisting the airport is not safe for flight operations.

This is coming as local carriers jostle to increase their frequencies to Kaduna Airport in order to capture more passengers on the route pending the complete renovation of the Abuja runway.

Virtually all the foreign airlines spoken to by our correspondent said that they won’t relocate their operations to Kaduna despite the appeal of the Federal Government for them to do so.

The operators told Urchbaba that they have already informed the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika that they would be suspending operations to Abuja the moment it is shut for total rehabilitation. For instance, British Airways in a statement signed by its Regional Commercial Manager West Africa, Mr. Kola Olayinka said that the airline considered several factors before deciding not to fly to Kaduna Airport.

The statement reads: “‘I can confirm that BA will not be operating to Kaduna during the planned closure of the Abuja Airport. “Many factors were considered before this decision was reached, major ones are concern about the safety and security of our passengers as well as difficulties around some key operational issues. “We are currently evaluating all options for our customers planning to travel at that time and we will be reaching out directly to them for information about their trip.”
Also, South African Airways in its letter to Sirika, informed him that it would cease flight operations to Abuja starting from today, March 6th 2017.

The letter was made exclusively available to our correspondent by a source close to the Ministry. The letter was signed by the Ag. Chief Commercial Officer, SAA, Mr. Aaron Munetsi.

The letter read in part: “SAA commends the Nigerian authorities concerning the planned repairs of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport runway. However, due to network and fleet operations planning, SAA regrets to advise that the airline will suspend its Abuja operations with effect from 6th March until April 18th  2017.

“The airline promised to be in constant touch with the Nigerian aviation authorities as the repair work progresses in order to establish its readiness for revised operations in accordance with the work schedule.” Besides, the media consultant to Lufthansa Airways, Mr. Hakeem Jimoh in a telephone conversation with our correspondent said that the carrier would not operate to Kaduna as directed by the government. Rather, he explained that the airline would continue to operate to Port Harcourt and Lagos, stressing that it would only return to Abuja Airport once it is re-opened for flight operations.

He explained that the airline has already stopped the sales of Abuja airport tickets for passengers intending to travel to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from March 8, 2017. Jimo explained that passengers who had already booked ahead, the airline would offer them “no fee booking option,” which would allow them to change their travel plans to Lagos and Port Harcourt Airports without collecting additional charges from them.

He, however, said that for those who still prefer Abuja Airport to any of the alternatives offered by the airline, the management would make refunds to them without any charges.

He said: “There is no plan to operate to Kaduna Airport by the airline. We will soon suspend our operations to Abuja and return to the airport once it is re-opened for flight operations. We don’t have any codeshare arrangement with any Nigerian airline at least for now.

“So, for those who have already book ahead, we will give them alternatives, which is either Lagos or Port Harcourt that we still fly into in the country. We will offer them ‘no-fee booking option,’ which is the industry standards and if any passenger still doesn’t want to fly with us, we will make a full refund of their payments to them without any charges.”

Other airlines that operate into Abuja, but have declined to fly to Kaduna are Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, EgyptAir, Air France and Lufthansa Airways.

However, indigenous carriers have indicated their willingness to operate direct flights to Kaduna as from tomorrow.

Dana Air in a press statement to journalist early this morning said I would commence four daily flights to the state from March 8, 2017.

Avoid Travel To U.S., Nigerian Government Warns Citizens

Nigeria is advising its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States because of the lack of clarity on new immigration rules, the government said on Monday.

A special adviser to the president on foreign affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said in a statement that Nigerians “without any compelling or essential reasons” should consider delaying.

“In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria,” she said.
“In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled.”

Dabiri-Erewa said “no reasons were given for the decision by the US immigration authorities”.
The recommendation to postpone trips was given “until there is clarity on the new immigration policy” from Washington, she added.

Of the 2.1 million African immigrants living in the United States in 2015, 327,000 were born in Nigeria, according to data from the Pew Research Center, published in February.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 27 to bar people from seven, Muslim-majority countries from travelling to the United States for 90 days.

It also stopped all refugees for 120 days and Syrian refugees permanently. The ban caused global outrage, as well as chaos across the United States, before it was frozen by a legal ruling.

Trump is expected to sign a revised travel ban on Monday.

EFCC Recovers Multi-Million Naira Jewelry From Former NSA Brother-In-Law's Residence

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered jewelry worth millions of naira from the house of one Akka Babba Danagundi, brother-in-law to a former National Security Adviser to the late President Umar Musa Yar’aduwa, Major General Abdullahi Sarki Mukhtar.

The jewelry was found in a fireproof safe hidden in a house belonging to one Akka Babba Danagundi at No. 375, Gwangwazo quarters of Kano Municipal, Kano State. About 50 documents in respect of landed properties bearing the name of the former NSA and his wife, Binta Sarki Mukhtar were also discovered.

The discovery was sequel to an intelligence report alleging that huge sums of money including foreign currencies were hidden in the premises.

During the operation, Aiko Fireproof safe and seven suspects including the house owner, Danagundi were arrested and brought to EFCC's Kano Zonal Office where their statements was taken.

On arriving at the commission’s Kano Zonal Office, the safe was opened and several pieces of jewelry, such as necklaces and wristwatches, including 50 Certificates of Occupancy for properties located in Kano, Kaduna and Abuja, were found. Among the jewelry recovered were 55 wristwatches, including three gold watches. Also 37 pieces of gold weighing 1,907.9g and another 15 pieces of fashion jewelry were found.

All the suspects arrested during the operation were released on administrative bail with the exception of Danagundi, who is still in custody assisting the investigation.

Three Suicide Bombers Die In Failed Bombing Mission In Maiduguri

Three suicide bombers early today died in a failed mission to bomb an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Maiduguri, the  Borno state Police Command has confirmed.

 

The Commissioner of Police Borno state, Damian Chuckwu said this at the scene of the blast in Maiduguri on Friday, stating that three petrol tankers were burnt in the latest attacks.

The suicide bombers attacked petroleum tankers parked near a filling station around 3:00 am local time; the first explosion occurred as the first bomber detonated a suicide vest and two others detonated their deadly wares along Damboa Road Maiduguri with the aim causing maximum casualty at an IDP nearby.  

The suicide bombers died instantly leading to massive fire from one of the petrol tankers laden with PMS, two other empty tankers were also burnt.

No other casualty was recorded beyond the three suicide bombers.

Suspected Herdsmen Invade Benue Community, Kill Four

Suspected Fulani herdsmen have reportedly stormed Gbemacha council ward in Gwer Local Government Area of Benue state, killing an elderly man and three others in a midnight raid on the community.

Urchbaba gathered from an eyewitness that the herdsmen had in the last few weeks moved into the community with herds of cows which destroyed several cassava farms in the area.

“They development did not go down well with youths of the area who tried to resist them but were equally countered by the armed herdsmen who besieged the community in their numbers and sacked the locals from their homes.”

Speaking on the issue at Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) accountability briefing in Makurdi, the Special Adviser to the State Governor, Bureau for Lands and Survey, Prof. Jonathan Uever, who hails from the area, said the attack was unprovoked.

“They were not provoked in any way, from what I gathered from my people who have been giving me update on the crisis in the last three days, the herdsmen stormed Gbemacha council ward and everybody ran for their lives," Mr. Uever said. “They took over our community and broke into people’s houses, destroyed food barns and whatever food the they saw were burnt.

“After that they went and hid near a popular well in the community laying wait for the people, the first person they saw was an elderly man, they shot and slaughtered him including three others."

Lagos Court Dissolves Nollywood Star And Former GEJ Campaigner Emeka Ike's Marriage

A three-man customary court panel in Lagos on Thursday dissolved the marriage between Nollywood actor Emeka Ike and his wife, Suzanne Emma.

The panel presided over by Chief Awo Awosola, dissolved the 17- year old union while delivering judgment in a marriage petition filed by Suzanne.

The other judges were Kehinde Jacob Olayinka and Opeyemi Olanrewaju, the lone female.
The court said the evidence before it was positive that the marriage between the couple had broken down.

“It is irreconcilable, consequently, the marriage is dissolved," it ruled.

The court granted Emeka the custody of the four children but ordered that their mother should be granted unhindered access to them, adding that any party that is dissatisfied with the judgement should appeal within 30 days.

The court also received a photocopy of a bank draft of N300, dated July 20, 2016, which Suzanne used in refunding the bride price paid upon her for their marriage.

In her petition, Emeka’s estranged wife had accused the actor of incessant beating, molestation, and torture, which she said she could no longer endure.

But pleading with the court not to dissolve the marriage, Emeka had denied ever beating, molesting or torturing his wife, saying his wife had moved out of their matrimonial home five times without any reason.

He told the court that the only time the “devil” entered their marriage was when his wife paid the children's school fees.

Suzanne, who said she is not thinking of a marriage, advised other women who are going through what she experienced, to be bold enough to file for divorce.

The couple wedded in the Alagbole area of Lagos in 2014.

Kidnap Kingpin 'Vampire' Killed In Rivers State

The police said today they had killed a dreaded and deadly kidnap-for-ransom kingpin, Henry Chibueze, notoriously known as "Vampire," in Omu Awa forest, Ikwerre Local Government Area in Rivers state.

Police Spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood, said Chibueze was killed by the Police Special Forces, led by the I-G’s Intelligence Response Team at 1 a.m. on Thursday.

He said that five suspected members of the gang were also arrested and cache of arms and ammunition recovered from them.

The force spokesman said the gang had been responsible for so many kidnappings and robbery attacks in Imo, Abia, Rivers, Delta and other states in the South-East and South-South.

He said that the arrested members of the gang would be presented to newsmen and charged to court on completion of investigation.

Chibueze, the Vampire, was the criminal spirited away by his gang members on 27 January in the premises of an Owerri High Court.

He was arrested in 2015 and had been in prison custody following the kidnap of the wife of a government official.

Chibueze who was brought to the court along with other arrested suspects escaped when gunmen in a sports utility vehicle which had been parked at the premises opened fire immediately he disembarked from the prison van.

The kidnapper was then spirited away by the gunmen, leaving five Prisons officials and some bystanders wounded by the gunfire. Two other suspects were stolen along with him.

The Public Relations officer of Prisons, Mr James Madugba, said the accomplices had been mistaken for operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), hence no alarm was raised when they were spotted at the court.

Chibueze who was paraded by the DSS before the state Governor in 2015 admitted to having carried out several kidnappings in the state and beyond before his arrest.

After Chibueze’s escape in January, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state announced a N5million bounty for information that would lead to his arrest.

Fani-Kayode’s Corruption Trial: Lawyers Argue Over Court Jurisdiction

A lengthy and heated argument, on Thursday, broke out between the prosecution and defense counsels in the criminal trial of Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, spokesperson of the presidential campaign organization of former President Goodluck Jonathan, before Justice Idris Hassan at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos. 

The dispute was over whether or not the court has jurisdiction to hear the criminal case between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Fani-Kayode and two others.

At the resumption of the trial, Mr. Abiodun Jelili Owonikoko (SAN), counsel to Mrs. Nenadi Usman, a former Finance Minister, reminded the court that the case was adjourned for hearing on applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court. He pleaded that the court should entertain the application addressing Mrs. Usman’s health condition.

 Justice Hassan, however, refused, stating that applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court must be taken first.

In defense of his application, Mr. Owonikoko then demanded that the case be transferred to Abuja, arguing that the only reason the prosecution was opposed to the transfer of the case is that its collection of evidence is in Lagos, not Abuja, where the alleged crimes were committed.

He added where an offense was committed is important in determining the venue for its trial

"It is totally a different thing how the prosecution decides to investigate the matter or to preserve evidence. It is more ignominious to resist a place an offense is committed because prosecution scattered his own evidence for its administrative convenience," argued Mr. Owonikoko.

He contended that Lagos is not the appropriate division of the Federal High Court to hear the matter because it represents an inconvenience to his client, who has had to spend huge sums of money, including avoidable accommodation costs, traveling from Abuja to Lagos to attend trials.

Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, the prosecuting counsel, opposed the application for transfer, stating that the court is not bound by the convenience of the defendants.  Section 386 of Administration of Criminal Justice Acts (ACJA) and section 1-2 of the money laundering Act, said Mr. Oyedepo, empowers the prosecution to file the charge in the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court.

Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN), counsel to Mr. Fani-Kayode, also expressed doubts about the impartiality of the trial judge. He said his client does not trust the judge to be fair in handling the matter.

“The defendant feels that he will not get justice from the judge that had, at one time, prepared and signed a charge against him," said Mr. Quakers. He urged the judge to excuse himself from Fani-Kayode’s trial.  Mr. Oyedepo, however, said the case in which the judge was accused of preparing and signing was in fact prepared and signed by Mr. Festus Keyamo, adding that the judge has been fair to Fani-Kayode, having granted him bail despite EFCC's opposition to such.  Mr. Oyedepo further said the judge also condemned and scolded the EFCC when Fani-Kayode was arrested in the court premises.

 "Can it be said that the applicant who has enjoyed the discretionary power of the court has been treated unfairly?" asked Mr. Oyedepo.

He argued that it is neither the duty of a defendant nor his counsel to choose the judge that would adjudicate on his matter, but solely that of the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court. He expressed the view that all the applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court are aimed at slowing down the trial.

"This application is intended to whip up emotion before the court or paint the court in a bad light. Sentiments have no place in the conduct of judicial proceedings," argued Mr. Oyedepo.
The matter was adjourned to March 16 for ruling on the applications.

Detained Nigerian Opposition Politician Gbadamosi Regains Freedom

The State Security Service on Thursday released Babatunde Gbadamosi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party who was arrested last week, his wife said.

Sade Gbadamosi told URCHBABA at 1:00 p.m. Thursday that her husband was set free this afternoon.

“We bless God,” she said.
Mr. Gbadamosi was arrested last Wednesday after he honored an invitation from the SSS.

He was then transferred to Abuja on the same day where he was held until his release moments ago.