The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed the arrest of immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano.
The Public Relations Officer of the EFCC, Wilson Uwajaren confirmed the arrest.
It will be recalled as previously reported by Naija News that Obiano who just handed over less than twenty-four hours ago to Governor Chukwuma Soludo was picked up on Thursday at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Thursday night around 8.30pm by EFCC operatives.
He was arrested while on his way to the United States.
Confirming the development during a chat with BBC Pidgin, the EFCC spokesperson said Obiano was arrested because he was on the watchlist of the anti-graft agency.
He added that they couldn’t arrest him earlier because of his immunity as a sitting Governor.
He said, “Obiano has been on our watchlist for sometime now. He had immunity as a governor and that is why we could not arrest him before now.
“Today he lost the immunity and was traveling out of the country before we finally arrested him”.
The PUNCH learnt that Obiano, who had been on the watch list of the EFCC, was arrested while trying to board a flight to the United States.
Recall that the commission had in a letter to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service dated November 15, 2021, asked immigration to place Obiano on a watch list and inform it anytime he is travelling out of the country from any of the International airports and other points of entry and exit.
The Commissioner for Information, Don Adinuba, had, however, dared the EFCC, insisting that his boss would return to the US – his original base – after leaving office.
However, barely hours after handing over to his successor, Prof. Charles Soludo, it was learnt that Obiano made his way to Lagos after which he proceeded to the international airport.
On sighting him at 8.30pm, immigration officers were said to have alerted the EFCC who immediately arrested him and took him down to their office.
When contacted on the telephone, the Spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the former governors’ arrest, promising to provide more details later.
“It is true. He was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport around 8.30pm,” said Uwujaren.
Bianca Ojukwu, the widow of the late Biafra warlord, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu has expressed her optimism that Anambra State will be better.
TRIXX NG recalls Bianca trended on social media when she was involved in a fight with the immediate past First Lady of Anambra State, Ebelechukwu Obiano.
Both women had to be separated by security agents and some personalities as they exchanged slaps at the inauguration of Soludo. Mrs Obiano was later taken away and shortly afterwards, her husband, Willie Obiano left the venue.
Bianca while reacting to Thursday’s swearing-in of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo as the new Governor of the state tagged March 17, 2022, ‘Liberation Day’, while stating that she is expecting ‘redemption’.
“It’s liberation day, and today we sing the Redemption Song. Anambra will be better!” she wrote on her known Facebook page on Thursday.
The management of the University of Ibadan on Thursday ordered students to vacate its halls of residence following the extension of the ongoing strike by members of the Academic Staff Union if Universities.
The Registrar of the UI, Mrs Olubunmi Faluyi, announced the order to vacate the hostels in a bulleting issued on Thursday.
The university however exempted post graduate students who have paid their fees and undergraduates students on industrial attachment and practical training from vacating the campus.
The registrar said, “Management, at its meeting on Wednesday, 16 March, 2022, deliberated on the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which had now been extended by eight (8) weeks.
“As a result, academic activities in the University have become paralysed.
“Consequently, the vice-chancellor, on behalf of Senate has directed that the university be closed until further notice.
“Therefore, all students are hereby mandated to vacate the halls of residence with immediate effect.
“Postgraduate students who have paid their school fees and undergraduate students who are on industrial attachment or practical training are exempted from this vacation notice. Such students are to visit the Office of the Dean of Students for accommodation arrangement.
“A new date of resumption will be communicated in due course.”
FIRSTBANK REWARDS CUSTOMERS WITH 50 MILLION NAIRA WORTH OF PRIZES IN VERVE CARD CAMPAIGN
FirstBank, Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider has urged its customers to take advantage of the Bank’s ongoing Verve Card campaign designed to reward customers for their continued usage of the Verve debit Card.
The Eight-week promo will end on Wednesday, 30 March 2022 as 2,601 customers will win various prizes. These prizes include: N20,000 Cash Prize, N10,000 Cash Prize, N10,000 worth of airtime; power generating sets, refrigerator, cooking gas and the grand prize of a brand-new car.
The promo will reward customers on a weekly and monthly basis. In every week of the promo, 200 customers who carry out a minimum of 2 transactions with their Verve debit card stand a chance to win N10,000.00 worth of airtime, cash prizes of N10,000 and N20,000.
Furthermore, 100 customers who perform a minimum of 8 transactions within 4 weeks with their Verve debit card will be rewarded with either a Generator set, Refrigerator, Gas Cooker or N50,000 cash prize every four weeks.
A Grand prize of a brand-new car will also be won by a lucky customer who performs a minimum of 16 transactions during the campaign period.
Chuma Ezirim, FirstBank’s Group Executive, e-Business & Retail Products said “we are happy with the ongoing verve debit card promo designed to appreciate customers for their continued usage and adoption of the card for various digitally-driven transactions.
With the promo being instrumental to reinforcing the value placed by customers on its versatile capabilities, we encourage the continued usage of the verve card as it is a card offering that promotes safe, convenient and rewarding digital banking service to customers,” he concluded.
The Verve debit card is a Naira-denominated debit card that offers a convenient, fast, and secured payment for goods and services. It is accepted on all channels connected to the Verve International network where the Interswitch/ Verve logo is displayed; ATMs, POS and Web in Nigeria. The Bank’s Verve debit Cards make up a notable percentage of the industry’s base. Hence, this Promo is aimed at appreciating our cardholders while growing the bank’s card adoption and usage.
Visit the nearest FirstBank branch today to pick up your Verve card and start getting rewarded
Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, on Thursday said that he will not resign from office.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Malami rather said he will see out his tenure, in May 2023.
Malami made this vow during his keynote address at a conference organised by the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents.
“Many who relied on some unprofessional information disseminators will be taken aback that the Malami that was claimed to have resigned as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice was still seen in office discharging his functions including attending the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting yesterday, granting interviews to journalists and still today declaring this conference open as the Attorney General of the Federation.
“There is naturally an end to everything. My tenure in office has not yet ended. I pray for a glorious end,” he said.
Rumours are rife that Malami will contest for the governorship seat of Kebbi State in 2023, but the 54-year-old has not declared his intention in that respect.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the House of Representatives on Wednesday endorsed the National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, for the 2023 presidential election.
The caucus endorsed the former Lagos State governor during a visit to the National Assembly on Wednesday.
House Leader, Hon. Alhassan Doguwa, who led the lawmakers in the endorsement, spoke of Tinubu’s track record as Senator and governor.
He said the APC leader has all it takes to aspire to the presidency and has physical and mental capacity to run the affairs of this country.
Hon. Doguwa then put the question to his colleagues asking whether it was their wish to endorse Tinubu for the 2023 race to which they all answered in the affirmative.
Earlier addressing them, Tinubu described the National Assembly as a vital arm of government.
He noted that the legislators had made important contributions to the unity and stability of the country and sustenance of her democracy as the most direct representatives of the individual constituencies at the Federal level.
The APC leader said he was in the National Assembly to seek the lawmakers’ counsel, collaboration and support for his ambition.
House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila expressed surprise that many of those claiming to be in the race were sitting at home and not interfacing with Nigerians.
“I don’t think it’s good that Nigerians are still waiting six weeks to the primaries to know those in the race. It’s not fair on Nigerians,” he said.
He described Tinubu as one man who had indicated he would not take Nigerians for granted and would consult widely and talk to anyone who cared to listen.
The national leader of the All progressives Congress, APC is currently in the National Assembly to meet with Senators on the platform of the party.
It was earlier reported that Tinubu would be meeting the senators to discuss about his 2023 presidential ambition.
This newspaper learnt that the South-West political strongman was also in the company of his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. He is to meet with the senators in the in the upper legislative Chamber.
Tinubu was heard saying to the Senators: “I told Mr President that my ambition is not blind to the extent that I will step on his toes. I just want to step into his shoes and not on his toes. – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to APC Senators.”
“I came for your counsel, partnership and support. I believe that you can back me for my life time ambition.”
“I want to beg you to look at my capacity and my experience. I am perhaps the only one who has been in the Senate, who has been a governor and aspiring to become President.”
Some unknown gunmen on Wednesday ambushed officers of the Imo State correctional center, and killed two of them.
Society gazette reports that the incident happened this morning at Okigwe town, around the Umulolo axis of the state.
It was learnt that those injured have been taken to the hospital.
In recent times, the prevalence of insecurity in southeast states has risen to alarming levels, sending most residents into perpetual fear.
With criminality escalating in geometric magnitude, security operatives have not been spared from the onslaught of the lawbreakers. Soldiers, policemen, paramilitary officers, in their numbers have lost their lives just as a good number of police stations in some communities across the southeast states have been set ablaze.
Imo was worse hit in the immediate past year, and the attackers haven’t stopped yet.
Embattled Police Chief, Abba Kyari has claimed that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has been assisting drug dealers to bring in Cocaine into Nigeria.
This newspaper earlier reported that Kyari and four other police officers under the IRT were arrested in February for attempting to bribe an NDLEA officer with $61,000 to facilitate the release of seized cocaine.
POLITICS NIGERIA learned that Kyari made the claim in a N500 million fundamental right enforcement suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/182/22.
The disgraced police officer accused the anti-drug agency of assisting drug peddlers to ship in Cocaine into the country. He also stated that he was ‘framed’ by a disgruntled officer of the agency after he went to demand compensation for the whistleblower that gave information that led to the arrest of a suspect.
An affidavit filed by Kyari’s brother, One Mamman Nur, rehashed the claim stating that drugs were being shipped in from Ethiopia with the ‘knowledge of NDLEA officers’.
Narrating the entire situation in the suit, Kyari stated; “That on that fateful day, the suspect as usual shipped drugs (cocaine) from Ethiopia to Enugu Airport. The officer of NDLEA cleared him within the airport, then officer of FIB-IRT arrested the suspect with the help of an information.”
“That before the informant accepted to work with the officers of FIB-IRT, they both had an agreement to compensate the informant.”
“That officers of FIB-IRT, having noticed that officers of NDLEA were the ones clearing the said suspect with his drugs (cocaine), they immediately took the suspect to NDLEA and also reported those officers involved in the act.”
“That instead of the NDLEA to handle the matter accordingly and bring their officers involved to book, they decided to frustrate the informant, thereby refusing to compensate the informant.”
“That it was at this juncture that the attention of the DCP Abba Kyari was called, who because the NDLEA officer involved is his friend, decided to intervene for the purpose of compensating the Informant.”
“That the NDLEA officer who refused to compensate the informant was the one who framed DCP Abba Kyari up on a trump-up allegation that he was trying to bribe him.”
“That the agent of the Respondent declared the Applicant wanted because of a mere allegation that he was trying to bribe an NDLEA officer without sufficient proof.”
“That the Nigerian Police Force, based on the allegation of the Respondent arrested the Applicant on February 12, 2022, and handed over to the NDLEA.”
Kyari’s bail hearing comes up on March 28th at a federal high court in Abuja.
