The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Enugu Zonal Command has secured the conviction of a former manager with Sterling Bank and Account Relationship Officer of OHHA Microfinance Bank. Mr Oliver Anidiobi before Justice C.O Ajah of the Enugu State High Court, Enugu on a 32-count charge bordering on forgery and stealing to the tune of N219million.
The defendant who was arraigned on Tuesday May, 7, 2019 allegedly used his position to convince the microfinance bank to deposit the said sum through him. He proceeded to fix the money in a fixed deposit account and forged a deposit certificate to deceive the microfinance bank, while he diverted the funds for personal use.
With the money, he built a block of 5 flats, acquired several plots of land along the Enugu Port-Harcourt Expressway, an uncompleted four bedroom bungalow at Centenary Estate, Enugu and also made an investment of N65 million in a Ponzi Scheme called “Let’s Partner with You” owned by one Mr. Patrick Nwokike.
In the course of his trial, the prosecution counsel Michael Ani, presented 5 witnesses and tendered 75 exhibits while the defendant testified for himself.
At the last hearing on October 8, 2021, Justice Ajah adjourned to November 2, 2021 for judgment.
The Judge today held that “the accused person did not deny nor challenge the allegations made by the EFCC. Any evidence not challenged is admitted as true. I am duty bound to establish the evidence presented by the prosecution. The evidence is strong and compelling to grant conviction.”
Justice Ajah consequently convicted and sentenced Oliver Anidiobi to 4 years imprisonment on counts 1-14 without an option of fine; 4 years on counts 15-17 and 8 years on counts 28-32 without an option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.
An estate valuer is to evaluate the defendant’s properties at his village, Centenary city, Enugu and Premier Layout, New Artisan, Enugu; to help determine their values so that they can be sold and the proceeds paid in restitution to OHHA microfinance bank.
There is anxiety among students of The Polytechnic Ibadan following the shooting of a female student of the institution.
The lady, Taibat Babatunde, was reportedly shot on the campus in the evening of Tuesday and some students claimed one of the security personnel of the school fired the shot that hit the female student.
They said the security men had gone to the Sewage Hall on the campus to arrest a student but while shooting in the air, a stray bullet fired by the security man allegedly hit the lady.
The victim was said to have been rushed to the University College Hospital Ibadan for treatment
The management of the school has said the lady was responding to treatment while promising to unravel the identity of the person who fired the shot.
The Registrar of TPI , Mrs Modupe Fawale, in a statementmade available to our correspondent on Wednesday appealed to the students to remain calm.
The statement read, “The unfortunate incident happened at the sewage area late in the afternoon where a gun shot hit the female student.
“The female student was immediately rushed to the University College Hospital where a first class medical attention was given to her.
“We appeal to all students and staff to remain calm and abide with all the regulations as investigations have been launched into the source of the gunshot.”
Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has criticised the Federal Government over the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC’s) questioning of popular socialite and businessman, Obinna Iyiegbu, aka Obi Cubana.
Omokri accused the government of “double standards”, reminding people that ‘even with damning evidence, top police officer, Abba Kyari wasn’t invited by the EFCC’.
“Even with the damning evidence the FBI provided against Abba Kyari, he has not bern invited to the EFCC, nor is he under arrest. So, again, why is Obi with EFCC and not Tinubu or Kyari? Is it because Obi is Igbo and they are not? This is obviously double standards!” Omokri wrote in a tweet.
In another tweet a few minutes later, he said, “I would counsel Cubana to join and donate to APC, like FFK, and not only would his ’sins’ (if any) be forgiven, he can even take a photo with Buhari at Aso Rock. A government and party of double standards. Hailing Tinubu and jailing Obi. Yeye baff una!”
It will be recalled that the EFCC had on Monday invited Obi Cubana to its head office to answer questions on sundry issues, which the agency merely classified as tax fraud and money laundering but declined to give specifics, apparently to avoid jeopardising the probe.
The Biafra National Guard in a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday night stated that sovereignty of the Biafra Nation has been declared.
The self-acclaimed leader of the group vowed that it’s men will defend Biafra with the last drop of their blood.
He threatened that troops of the Nigerian Army can not defeat them and they have strategies that they will not reveal.
This is coming after troops of the Nigerian Army deployed under Exercise Golden Dawn in the southeast neutralized a gunman belonging to the Biafran National Guard.
According to the spokesman of the Army, Brig-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, the gunman was killed when troops resisted an attack, while others escaped with gunshot wounds.
Meanwhile, the BNG fighters in the video unveiled what appears to be rockets named ‘Red Devil 01’.
The rockets were painted black, green, red and yellow, colours which are synonymous with Biafra.
The self-acclaimed leader of BNG identified as Innocent Orji stated that “Biafra is real”.
He said, “We have re-declared the sovereignty of the Biafra nation; we have hoisted our flag. I and my men will defend Biafra with the last drop of our blood no matter what.”
“We will be going out to defend our nation and boundaries, we are not afraid of the soldiers. We must do the needful. The support of the people will help us to save more lives.”
“This is not 1967, we have our strategies. We won’t tell the people what we are going to do. Nigerian soldiers can never defeat us”, he said
Nigeria, must we always kill our illustrious sons? It is a question that several persons of repute, including activist, had asked in the past and the question again took on relevance in recent days as the hyenas hemmed in what they thought was their prey and tried to snuff life out of his career. The intended dinner of the human hyenas was the Governor of the Central Bank, Mr Godwin Emefiele.
The hunting ground of choice was the web pages of Sahara Reporters, which went to town with the screamer, “CAUGHT ON TAPE: How Central Bank Governor Emefiele, Deputy Adamu And Top Officials Discussed How To Cover-Up N500bn Which They Stole From The CBN”. But it turned out the hyenas were not meant to have Emefiele for dinner, they went hungry. Contrary to the envisaged endgame, President Muhammadu Buhari handed him another five years in office. And who would not, considering the superlative outing he had in his first term? It must be this performance that made his confirmation by the Senate to be as fast as lightning.
Beyond being re-appointed and being expeditiously confirmed to continue leading Nigeria’s apex bank, it turned out that the report carried by Sahara Reporters was the usual hatchet job. The best the report was able to do was to twist a routine telephone conversation out of context to allege a theft that never took place while further exposing the shallowness of the folks behind the news blog and those who contracted them to do the hit job.
The story they put out has been spectacularly rubbished by the statement issued by Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications. There is no need to rehash the explanation offered in that statement but suffice to say the statement exposed the lack of understanding on the part of those who thought they had caught Mr Emefiele in a compromised position worthy of breaking news and embarrassing enough to the government to not reappoint him. The reality, however, is that they only succeeded in convincing the rest of us how ignorant they are about the way reserve banks work.
There is the outside chance that these hyenas are not so ignorant; they know there is no substance in their claim but they were deluded to expect that Nigerians and their leaders are naïve to the point where they will rush to crucify Emefiele without first weighing the substance of the supposed allegations implied by leaking the tape.
Three things stand out in this ugly saga of a failed blackmail attempt. The first is that the recording points to the existence of deeply political operatives in all branches and agencies of government. Those who made the audio went to great length to procure their tainted produce
Whether they bugged or hacked the telephone sets in the CBN Governor’s office, compromise the internal switch at the apex bank, or deployed eavesdropping technology to intercept the calls, this is a red flag that public officials are now persistently under threat from political operatives that are out to garner information for their own end.
To the extent that Mr Emefiele’s telephone conversation was in pursuit of legitimate duty, as we now know, the perpetrators of this act have breached several of the laws of the land and their action can be likened to an attack on the country.
A second observation is that the kind of concern one can surmise from the CBN Governor’s discomfort and expressions in the course of the call showed a man that is passionate about getting his country out of an economic mess that took long in making. That people connected with the making of the mess are the ones now trying to make its resolution appear like a crime in progress is the height of travesty.
Mr Emefiele could have simply act indifferently and cited the approvals from the Ministry of Finance as a basis to be unconcerned. But true to his credential as a man that has done much to reduce and now on the verge of eradicating the famed black hole that swallows national resources at the CBN, the audio depicted him as greatly agitated about recovery of the funds that were released to bail out states that failed to be fiscally prudent to the point of becoming insolvent.
A note must be made of the fact that the irresponsible behaviour on the part of state governors, which led to this situation, was the hallmark of the governments that preceded that of President Buhari. State governors of now, even those that do not belong to the ruling party at the centre, have learned that there is no longer room for kleptocratic frivolity.
Furthermore, it is one thing to criminally breach the security of an institution as pivotal as the CBN, publishing the proceeds of that crime amounts to daring the state. It is like someone stealing clothes from a neighbourhood and then parading the streets dressed in the stolen items. Such arrogance comes from the erroneous impression that the state is incapable of visiting the requisite sanction on the offenders or that the criminal in this instance is above the law.
With these observations come the steps that must be taken to prevent blackmailers and criminals from arrogating legitimacy to themselves should they wrongly surmise that society condones their wrong-doings. It is, therefore, necessary to clearly define what constitutes desirable whistleblowing and what amounts to espionage against the interests of the Nigerian state.
A situation where Chief Executives of government agencies and other government functionaries are illegitimately wiretapped cannot be allowed to continue unabated. Today, it is Emefiele, what happens when these criminally minded people turn to bug the Inspector General of Police and his key staff while making the recordings available to bandits and kidnappers? Or how much of this wiretapping have been deployed for insider trading or machination towards the collapse of the banks regulated by the CBN?
Also, the government must make it a priority to get to the bottom of this breach at the CBN. The breach and other actions carried out in its aftermath should be subjected to review by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation such that those found culpable – individual or corporate – would be made to face the law, of which there are adequate provisions.
This piece will conclude on the note of urging Mr Emefiele not to be daunted by the antics of those that feel pained that the CBN is no longer the ATM pool for corruption because of the reforms he has instituted there. Nigerians, who are his actual employers, are happy with his work, which made them greet his re-appointment with accolades. It’s the views of these employers that matter and not the perverted indulgence of a criminal few.
A former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has expressed sadness over the death of 14 people in the building collapse in Ikoyi.
Tinubu stated that the sad incident should not have occurred if the regulatory bodies had done their job and were responsible enough to avert the incident.
In a statement signed by his spokesman, Tunde Rahman, on Tuesday, the APC national leader demanded the sanction of officials who were meant to monitor the building construction.
Tinubu, however, commiserated with the families of those who have lost their loved ones in the sad incident.
The statement reads: “The collapse of a 21-storey building on Gerald Road in Ikoyi, Lagos is a sad and painful incident. Once more and all too often, we have suffered the loss of lives for no defensible reason. This tragedy should never have occurred.
“Some tragedies are unavoidable, but most are not. We need to understand what happened here so that we can work harder to prevent a reoccurrence. I endorse Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s order for an investigation into this tragedy. There are many questions to ask, and all those questions deserve full and public answers.
“We must get to the bottom of this ghastly occurrence. I seek not to prejudge anything or anyone, but it is obvious and plain to us all that something went terribly wrong.
“If indeed intentional or reckless wrongdoing has been committed, severe and appropriate sanctions should find those who have been found to have shirked their fundamental responsibilities. The departed, their grieving families and the people of Lagos deserve no less and should perhaps demand even more.
“As much as we are in collective pain and grief, we must also be clear and focused. Let us use this tragedy to serve as a strong warning and deterrent to ending any malpractices and misconduct that might in any way contribute to such an incident.
“We must never become numb to the tragedies that befall others; we must work and strive to put an end to these frightening events and the brutal but avoidable deaths that go with them. Lagos is and must forever be a place of light and life where the best of human endeavour is our currency and our calling card.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state has suspended Gbolahan Oki, the general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).
Naija News reports that the GM’s suspension is following the collapse of a 21-storey building in the Ikoyi area of the state which claimed the lives of at least 10 people and left many others injured.
In a statement on Tuesday by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, Sanwo-Olu stated that he is determined to find out what went wrong and punish those indicted in the collapsed 21-storey building.
He disclosed that the State Government will set up an independent panel to probe the collapse of the building on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi.
Members of the panel will be drawn from the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and other professional bodies.
“It will independently investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident and make recommendations on how to prevent future occurrence. The investigation is not part of the internal probe already being conducted by the government,” he said
Omotosho added that: “Nine persons – all men – have been pulled out of the rubble alive. They have been taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, 14 others were brought out dead – as at 2pm.
“Mr. Sanwo-Olu thanks all first responders and those who have joined the rescue efforts, including construction giants Julius Berger, Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
“A help desk is to be set up at the site for people seeking information about their relations who may have been involved in the incident.
“The media are hereby notified that the government will be releasing information whenever the need arises to avoid any sensational reporting of the unfortunate incident.”
Unknown gunmen have attacked the residence of the leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO), Prof. Banji Akintoye.
It was gathered that the Ado-Ekiti residence of the renowned historian was attacked over the weekend by the gunmen.
Confirming the attack, the group’s spokesperson, Maxwell Adeleye, said the gunmen climbed a chair outside the fence on Saturday to access the compound.
He however stated that the professor was not at his residence when the gunmen attacked, adding that no one was hurt.
According to Maxwell, the gunmen fired several shots with the bullets seen in the compound.
He however noted that that the situation has since been reported to the Ekiti State Police Command for prompt investigation.
The statement reads “The leadership of the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-Determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO), is displeased to inform the general public that the Ado-Ekiti country home of its leader, Professor Banji Akintoye, was attacked on Saturday, 30th October, 2021.
“Gunshots were fired into the house by assailants who apparently climbed a chair outside the gate to shoot in.
“Luckily, Professor Banji Akintoye was not around at the time, and nobody was hurt.
“Bullets suspected to be from AK-47 rifles were recovered after they dropped from the ceiling onto the floor.
“The matter has since been reported to the Ekiti State Police Command for investigation.
“Akintoye, a renowned Historian, hails from Ado-Ekiti. He represented the Old Ondo State in the Senate from 1979 to 1983.
“He is currently leading a peaceful agitation for an Independent Yoruba Nation from Nigeria.
“Recall that a few months ago, unknown armed men invaded the house of the Scion of the Akintoye dynasty, Ademola, an Engineer, in Agbor, Delta state, exterminating the building, including his rich fish pond. The Police did not arrest anyone up till this moment.
“We the Yoruba people within, and beyond the horizon of Nigeria will hold the Nigerian Government responsible if any evil happens to our leader or any of his relations.”
A leaked audio online has revealed how unidentified operatives of the Department of State Services disclosed that the residence of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho was invaded in July because he had given a hint while speaking carelessly.
The secret police officer who was believed to be on a call, also claimed that the arrogance and ignorance of the agitator were used against him.
According to the audio obtained by SaharaReporters on Tuesday, an ally of Igboho who knew him well was the informant used by the DSS operatives who invaded his residence.
Recall that operatives of the DSS invaded the residence of Igboho in Soka, Ibadan, killing two people and arresting twelve others.
The male voice in the audio noted that the unconscious statements of Igboho gotten from his close ally helped the DSS to raid his residence.
The tape was recorded in the Yoruba language with some use of the English language.
The voice said, “If you used to follow the things he said, he asked us to come at midnight. He didn’t know that God has also empowered the government.
“He boasted that if we came to his house with 1,000 personnel, hardly would we see 100 that would return. But, he said we shouldn’t come at midnight, and that was why we decided to invade at midnight.
“You know, God likes Igboho, his weakness is that he talks too much. And it is through words that powerful people are caught and ensnared.
“A Yoruba adage says ‘a talkative talks but with no sense’. The man called Igboho talks too much. He has a good plan and ambition, but he talks carelessly. And, his careless talk has ruined his ambition. That was why he fell victim.”
He further said, “Another thing is that his ignorance and arrogance ruined him.”
Listen to the audio here
In another development, an associate of Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Igboho, Oluwakemi Ifeoluwa, popularly known as Lady K, in a video, has claimed that God revealed to her that there would be many deaths in Nigeria.
This is coming a few days after the Department of State Service released Lady K and one Jamiu Oyetunji after spending 114 days in detention
Unknown gunmen have killed a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) in Anambra State.
Speaking on the incident, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) alleged that Hope Uzodinma killed the INEC REC chairman.
They revealed that Uzodima carried out the atrocious act because the chairman did not allow him to bring his ad-hoc staff to rig the upcoming November 6 gubernatorial election in Anambra.
The allegations were revealed in a statement made by IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful.
The statement reads in part: “We want to again warn Ndi Anambra to be at alert and never allow Hope Uzodinma to succeed with his evil plan. For those who don’t know, Hope Uzodinma murdered the INEC REC Chairman in Anambra State because he turned down Uzodinma’s request to bring his agents as ad hoc staff for the November 6 governorship election to perfect his rigging plan.
“Nigerian security agents, both DSS (Department of State Services) supported Fulani in their desperate mission to Islamise South East which is impossible for them. There is nothing they can do to change our people in our irrevocable resolve to restore Biafra.
“Similarly, Nigerian Army is committing secret genocide in Biafraland, the whole world must take note of these atrocities and extrajudicial killings going on in Biafraland in the name of Operation Golden Dawn officers deployed in our land, particularly everybody must endeavour to watch the viral videos and pictures where Nigeria soldiers and its sister security (are) shooting innocent villagers in Awgu, Enugu State.
“Nigerian security agents were sent into our territory to commit another round of genocide against innocent citizens of Biafra, we wondered why Amnesty International, civilised (sic) would keep quiet and allow Nigerian military killing innocent citizens because they accept to become the upcoming Biafra Nation.
“We are calling owners and leaders of this world to come for our rescue Nigerian army and other security agents killing, murdering and massacring Biafrans extrajudicially without any justifications, what did we do to answer in the first place, what crime for answering (sic) Nigeria.
“Nigerian government and her security agents decided completely to reduce the population of Biafra, we want the world leaders to fix a date for Biafra referendum so our people can decide where they want to belong, we are tired of Nigeria and its Fulani agenda.”
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