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Terror Alert: Intelligencers Within Govt Working To Collapse Nigeria, Says Security Expert

by Leading Reporters October 30, 2022
written by Leading Reporters

A security adviser , Ladi Thompson says intelligencers in the government are working to collapse Nigeria.

“ It seems that some rudiments within the government, intelligencers within are working together with this docket to collapse this country from within, ” he said on Channels Television’s Sunrise programme on Saturday.
According to Thompson, the Federal Government’s programs of absorbing captured terrorists into the Nigerian society, failure to make given terror financiers, amongst others are signs of contended conspiracy.

“ There are intelligencers in high places in Nigeria and what’s passing to our people is that when terrorism is being used clinically, one of its objects is to break the will of the nation, ” he emphasised.
Thompson said the cautions of imminent terror attacks in Abuja released by the United Kingdom and the United States mustn’t be ignored.

“ Abuja is a matter of time if we do n’t change strategies, ” he said and advised that low- tech bias should be stationed in Abuja incontinently.
The security expert, still, expressed confidence that Nigeria will master the current security challenges.

“ We’ll beat this thing but for us to beat this thing, the whole nation must realise that the strategy that this government is putting together has not worked( and) it isn’t working, ” he stated.

‘ Focus On The Communication, Not The Messenger ’

On his part, a global security critic, Ademola Abbas prompted the Federal Government to forget the runner and concentrate on the communication.

“ Let’s for formerly forget the runner and concentrate on the communication – the communication is that there’s a trouble to our country We live with pitfalls every single day, ” Abbas submitted.

The US and Britain had on Sunday advised of possible terror attacks in Abuja, especially at government structures, places of deification, seminaries and other centres where large crowds gather. Both countries also commenced the evacuation of their citizens from the Nigerian political capital.

still, Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed dismissed the terror cautions, saying the government wo n’t be stampeded and that Nigeria is safer than in May 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari came into office.

torrent Of Attacks
Disturbingly, a number of daring terrorist attacks have been recorded in Abuja in 2022 and other corridor of the country. On July 5, 2022, mutineers raided the Kuje captivity in Abuja and freed hundreds of convicts including hardened Boko Haram fighters.

The looters also in the same month attacked the advance convoy of the President near Dutsinma in Katsina State. The inspired terrorists would latterly in August ambush and kill some members of the Presidential Guards Brigade in Abuja.
Also, on March 28, 2022, the ferocious terrorists attacked a Kaduna- Abuja train, killed scores, abducted numerous passengers and held them hostages for over six months before their eventual release before in October.

On June 5, 2022, terrorists also raided a unqualified church in Owo, the birthplace of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, killed over 40 worshippers and injured scores of members.

October 30, 2022 0 comments
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HeadlinesOpinion

Much Ado about campaign crowds in Nigeria

by Leading Reporters October 9, 2022
written by Leading Reporters


 Both the conventional and social media have in the last few days been replete with reports on large crowds of Nigerians gathering at different locations to celebrate their preferred presidential candidates ahead of the 2023 general elections.

There is nothing new about the tendency because in the country’s previous republics, the idea of large crowds to depict a seemingly high degree of popularity of certain politicians was common. Its continuation no doubt suggests that the disposition of Nigerians to politics is still same as that of the stone age.

However, the trend was bearable then because no one bothered about the gravity of using inaccurate statistics to conduct elections. Today, the developed world and all progressive thinkers have gone beyond the obsolescence of elections by trial and error. With improved technology, the global reality now is that analogue electoral methods are unacceptable to the international community.
 
Countries with stunted growth such as Nigeria which prioritize campaign crowds over and above real voter turn-out and actual votes are the only ones still engaged in organizing noisy rallies to show-off party strength. Last week, the nation witnessed a huge rally in Bauchi by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, while those in support of the Labour Party and the ruling All Progressive Congress APC were similarly observed in several cities.

As a party that has been greatly underrated for its alleged inability to command big structures nationwide, the Labour Party rallies may not have been too difficult for many to rationalize as a segmented strategy to establish that the party believes more in people than structures. In the case of PDP, receiving high profile defectors to the party in Bauchi probably explains the mammoth crowd in that state.

But the strength the ruling APC sought to display with its women rallies in Lagos and the South-east region was not persuasive. First, as a party which claims to be the largest in Africa with a reported numerical strength of well over 40million members, a show of strength of large membership is superfluous.     

    
If its records are correct what the APC ought to be doing now is refining and updating its systems and structures for attaining a unity of direction for effortlessly delivering an outstanding presidential victory of a minimum of 50 million votes made up of those of its over 40 million members plus just a few million admirers. It is therefore baffling that our acclaimed largest party that should lead others is busy anxious to prove the same point that supposedly smaller parties are struggling to achieve!

It is also surprising that its rallies have been showing off colourfully adorned women as if it is a pro-women party when its legislators a few months back supervised the rejection of all bills seeking to uplift Nigerian women. However, it is not only the political parties that should be blamed on this.

A huge part of the blame goes to women who are always available to undertake mundane assignments while their male counterparts are busy sharing lucrative political offices among themselves. Nigerian women should be prominent in gatherings where major decisions of in-coming government are canvassed and not rallies where real issues are muzzled by music and dancing.
 
The point to be made is that those who take the lead in large political crowds should know that they are holding the cosmetic end of the political decision-making stick. Large crowds underscore nothing if not strategically handled. History has shown that in Nigeria, large political crowds are inconsequential as they are deliberately manipulated to achieve hidden agenda.

As great as party structures in the country are painted, no Nigerian political party has ever possessed an accurate membership list. As part of a recent research team that studied political party structures, systems and people in Abuja, the number of fake names in membership registers in our clime is embarrassing. The situation has indeed not changed from the findings in 1989 when the two registered political parties, SDP and NRC had several names of dead persons as well multiple names that could not be accounted for during verification of membership list by the electoral body  
 
In 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan scored less than 13 million votes or 44.96 percent of the total votes cast in the election. But before voting day, his supporters especially the ‘Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria’ had gathered more than 30 million signatures begging Jonathan to seek reelection. Even if the over 15million votes scored by Muhammadu Buhari of the APC were added to Jonathan’s votes it would still be less than the number of Nigerians who appeared at different stadia in the country to indicate their support for Jonathan in the form of signatures that were received by government officials on behalf of the then president.

Similarly, in 2019, incumbent President Buhari could only score a little over 15million votes to win his reelection although the pledges earlier made by APC supporters at rallies in support of the President totaled over 100 million votes. Interestingly, the INEC register of voters at the time, had only a maximum figure of 84million. Once incredible figures such as these are reeled out, politicians begin to work towards them by renting crowds. Enough of that.
 
Luckily, there are new candidates who now distance themselves from those contraptions.  In his Independence message to the nation, the week before, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, took a swipe at political parties and candidates involved in renting crowds for campaign rallies. He described the multitude of people that always throng venues of campaign rallies as a manifestation of poverty and pledged that he would “rather address an empty room than a paid crowd.

” Kachikwu’s position is rational because a rented crowd would not be interested in what any politician says as a basis for understanding the issues at stake in an election. Nigerians must therefore begin to shun rented rallies and insist on issue-based campaigns that enable our citizens to vote wisely and elect credible candidates that can work towards improving the living standards of the people.
 
Against this backdrop, it is time to call on political parties to depart from the old ways of organizing rallies for music, dancing and acrobatics. Accordingly, those who are yet to make their manifestoes available to all and sundry must be clearly told that they are behind schedule as this is the critical aspect of electioneering in which the candidates must be ready to explain to the satisfaction of all, the gains derivable from electing any of them into office. This is the time for listening to campaign promises as distinct from the old method of appointing belligerent spokespersons who merely heat up the polity to buy time before voting day while promises have neither been heard nor fully assimilated.

The Labour Party and the PDP candidates who have come up with their manifestoes are free to remain in the lead by also explaining how they intend to implement their promises. For example, Nigerians applauded Atiku Abubakar for promising to among other things complete the Mambilla hydro power project that had been on the drawing board for 50 years, but we still want to know how, just as we await Peter Obi to illuminate the modalities for switching Nigeria from the consumption to the production template.
 
Ruling political parties must provide a level playing field for all candidates to showcase their potentials. Consequently, allegations such as women forced to participate in rallies in Lagos or pastors suspended in Akwa Ibom state for allowing opposition parties to use their churches for thanksgiving services must cease forthwith because they are anti-democratic. Those who prefer military rule should quit the democratic space, without first supervising the flogging of civil servants who were reportedly late to work in Ebonyi state.

Most importantly, Nigerians must be on the lookout for those who are empowered to endanger our democracy.  Since it is now an annual affair to beg the ruling party in vain to not appoint their members into INEC, the public searchlight should be on any tainted electoral commissioner. These are what should be of interest now and not large superficial political rallies.
 
October 9, 2022  

October 9, 2022 0 comments
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APC Sunday Rally: A confirmation of evil agenda against the Church
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APC Sunday Rally: A confirmation of evil agenda against the Church

by Leading Reporters October 7, 2022
written by Leading Reporters

While Nigerians continue to speak against same-faith ticket opted for by the All Progressive Congress (APC) for its 2023 presidential candidates, Nigerian Christian community wakes to another rude shock by the party following its planned rally slated for 9.am on the 9th October, 2023.

The party, of all days, chose Sunday, 9am for its 5million man march. A time many Christian faithful’s are expected to be in Church.

Some of the respondents said that APC insensitivity towards one of the major religious sects in Nigeria – Christianity has been taken to an all high and irresponsible level.

“For heaven’s sake, how can a party that flies Muslim-muslim ticket chose Sundays of all days for its rally. It foretells what lies ahead. If Tinubu and Shettima are allowed to mount that seat as President and Vice President, that would mean the end of Christianity in Nigeria. The signs are all here for us to see. They tested it in Kaduna and go and ask the Christian dominated Southern Kaduna people what their experience so far looks like. Bringing it to the Federal level will bring in total collapse of Christianity in Nigeria.

Another respondent who did not want his name mentioned described it as an insensitivity taken too far.

“First it was same-faith ticket. Now it is Sunday, 9am rally. The next thing they will request you is to donate your worship centers as party secretariats.

October 7, 2022 0 comments
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BREAKING: FG Sues Facebook, Whatsapp Instagram over revenue N30B

by Leading Reporters October 4, 2022
written by Leading Reporters

The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria(ARCON) said it has lodged a suit against Meta Platforms Incorporated (owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms) and its agent AT3 Resources Limited at the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division.

According to a statement on Tuesday by the apex regulatory body for Nigeria’s advertising ecosystem, ARCON is seeking a declaration among others that the continued publication and exposure of various advertisements directed at the Nigerian market through Facebook and Instagram platforms by Meta Platforms Incorporated without ensuring the same is vetted and approved before exposure is illegal, unlawful and a violation of the extant advertising Law in Nigeria.

ARCON stated that Meta Platforms Incorporated’s continued exposure of unvetted adverts had also led to loss of revenue to the Federal Government.

ARCON is seeking N30bn in sanction for the violation of the advertising laws and for loss of revenue as a result of Meta Incorporated’s continued exposure of unapproved adverts on it’s platforms.

The statement read in part, “ARCON reiterates that it would not permit unethical and irresponsible advertising on the Nigeria’s advertising space.”

October 4, 2022 0 comments
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Prof. Mohammed Isah CCB Chairman is corrupt — Commissioners

by Leading Reporters October 3, 2022
written by Leading Reporters

The Commissioners in the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) have asked the Senate to commence investigations into the corruption allegations they levelled against their Chairman, Prof. Mohammed Isah.

The CCB is the Ombudsman set up to fight corruption within the public service system through scrutiny of assets declaration forms of civil and public service officers.

But the commissioners in the federal agency, besieged the Senate last Friday and raised the alarm that the anti-graft body was enmeshed in what it was established to fight.

The six federal commissioners in the anti – graft agency documented a petition full of corrupt allegations against their boss and submitted it to the Senate committee on Ethics , Privileges and Public Petitions .

Led by Dr. Emmanuel Attah, the commissioners alleged corrupt practices being perpetrated by the CCB Chairman.

They specifically cited his alleged blocking of the probe of the former accountant general of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, who was accused of allegedly having assets worth over N109 billion.

They said their colleagues in the petition they jointly signed had accused the embattled CCB Chairman of allegedly blocking necessary investigation into the assets declaration forms of some corrupt officials in the last four years.

They further alleged that some of the affected officials have multi-billion naira assets not stated in the forms they submitted to the CCB.

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions led by Senator Ayo Akinyelure, has therefore, asked the CCB Chairman to appear before the panel on Thursday, 6th October , 2022 by 2:00pm prompt.

Isah was absent at the panel sitting but five out of the six commissioners were present.

The absence of the CCB Chairman made Akinyelure to, with consent of other panel members, directed the CCB Chairman to appear before the committee unfailingly on Thursday.

He said, “The petition before this committee on allegations against the Chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau ( CCB) bordering on corrupt practices is worrisome and must be here to defend himself .

“The seriousness of the matter lies on the fact that the petitioners are even the six federal commissioners appointed to be working with him in the fight against corruption.

“The Commissioners are here but the Chairman who is in the eye of the storm is not here. We have gone through all the issues raised in the jointly signed petition by the Commissioners and they are very disturbing if eventually proven.

“Therefore for fair hearing, we are re-inviting the Chairman to appear before this committee on Thursday, 6th October, 2022 unfailingly by 2:00pm prompt for require response or responses from him on all allegations leveled against him in the petition,” he said.

While speaking with journalists after their engagement with the Senate panel, one of the commissioners, Hon Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, said they petitioned the Chairman to save CCB from self – inflicted incapacitation slammed on it by the Chairman.

According to him, all the commissioners and the Chairman, were appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to help in the war against corruption within the public service itself at all levels.

“The Chairman based on his conducts is not ready to fight the war in anyway but sabotage it by sitting on series of petitions written against corrupt public officers whose assets far outweighs what were declared in the Assets Declaration Forms.

“The N109 billion loot allegedly linked to the now being investigated Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, was first reported to CCB through petitions but prevented from being acted upon by the Chairman.

“We are ever ready to support Mr. President’s war against corruption but very disturbed by the frustration being thrown into it in CCB by no less a person, than the Chairman.

“We have written petition against him as declared by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions here today  and want him to meet us face to face before members of the committee for whatever defence he wants to make .

“Corruption must be killed in Nigeria before it kills us and anybody not ready to join in the fight or war against it, should be shown the way out of public service , particularly those saddled with responsibilities of curbing corrupt practices in the country like CCB”, he said .

Other Commissioners with him were Prof. Folorunsho Ogundare, Ubolo Okpanachi and Ben Nnana. (THISDAY: Text, excludes headline)

October 3, 2022 0 comments
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Nigerian legislators in Canada: For what?

by Leading Reporters October 2, 2022
written by Leading Reporters

Nigerian politicians have in the last few months been preoccupied with arrangements to select flagbearers to represent their political parties in the 2023 general elections which are some 3months away.

As usual, rancorous party primaries tore the parties apart with governance placed on recess in both the executive and legislative arms of government.

But not many Nigerians would have imagined that in the heat of political contestations, some legislators would successfully arrange to give themselves a jamboree outside the shores of the country in what is popularly known as study tours where huge sums of money are expended.

But it happened as Speakers of State Houses of Assembly across the country took-off to Canada to gain some knowledge on the intricacies of lawmaking and general governance.

The tour has since ended and the delegates are back home but not without controversies.

Reading through one foreign newspaper the other week, I found a report on how the visiting Nigerian state legislators were engulfed in a scuffle with some Nigerians living in Canada.

The story was that one or two diaspora members had gone to the hotel where the legislators were lodged to hand-over to them a protest message to be delivered to President Muhammadu Buhari in Nigeria.

Among other things, the protest message was said to have been informed by the long drawn-out strike by university teachers which had kept students at home for about 7months. The newspaper report had blamed the diaspora members for going to a hotel to harass guests adding that the police should have picked them up because the guests were entitled to their peace. Well, not much details could be gathered to make informed comments on how the so-called scuffle began and ended.

It is however important for public officials who expend tax payer’s money on foreign trips to be exceedingly tolerant of the bitter disposition of the diaspora. Such privileged tourists should find time to serve as representatives of government wherever they find themselves.

The ordinary citizen, usually with a huge sense of deprivation sees every public official as part of the oppressors, no matter how far away the official might be from the super occupants of the corridors of power.

In the instant case, the legislators should have included in their programme, a meeting for the exchange of ideas with some select members of the diaspora, at the Nigerian Embassy. For a well-publicized study tour of Nigerian legislators to begin and end without a plan to meet with Nigerians who are on ground at any foreign location can hardly go down well with citizens. Even if it was a private visit, there would still be the expectation that government officials have a duty to account to the people. In truth, it is not too much to warmly accept a protest letter for onward delivery to the appropriate authorities.

On the other hand, diaspora groups should desist from thinking that they have a right to assault any public official they find visiting the country where they live. However, the conflict between our tourist-speakers who went to Canada and some Nigerians they met there is really not the issue of interest to this column. A more important subject is the objective of the study tour which was arranged to hold at the tail end of the current legislative year. While it is conceded that every form of knowledge is useful, it is unfair to use public funds to seek personal pleasure under the guise of searching for knowledge. It is true that Canada is a leading commonwealth nation from where ample knowledge can be gained but the programme organized for our legislators in that country appeared pedestrian. It was not a study visit to legislative bodies in Canada but a workshop which did not involve real Canadian legislators. The resource persons were essentially some generalist-panellists.

Besides, the duration of the study was confusing. Whereas it was advertised to be a-7day programme, the disclosed agenda hardly filled more than 2 days. Indeed, the organizers titled it “the Institute on Governance’s two-day learning program for the Delegation of Nigerian Legislators to provide a learning opportunity on the legislative processes in government in Canada.” The first day, that is, September 19, 2022 was to focus on providing an overview of Canada’s Westminster Model of Government, Orders and Accountability while the second day was to cover what was described as flash lights on the Judicial System and Election Process in Canada. The social aspect of the programme was put at the end of the first day where a reception was to be used to recognize the Nigerian Delegation on its visit to Canada with officials from Global Affairs Canada and the office of the High Commissioner of Nigeria to Canada in attendance.

It would also appear that some effort was made to colour the tour with more value than it deserved. A message reportedly sent by Prime Minister Trudeau to the opening session referred to a 7-day programme for National and State legislators from Nigeria. But would such a message have come if Trudeau’s office was properly informed that the programme was for a group of speakers of state legislatures only? The answer would no doubt be in the negative because Trudeau is not likely to be pulled to address a conference of provincial legislatures. It would be worse if the office of the Canadian Prime Minister got to know the condescending personality of the average state legislator in Nigeria. In fact, if many Nigerians in Canada had heard of the programme, they would have publicly discredited it as a medium to attract dubious estacode earnings.

Against this background, not many analysts would be convinced that whatever our state speakers learnt in Canada can stop them from continuing to operate as stooges of their state governors – a view which some legislators themselves had opined in the past. For example, when in May 2015, the then Senate President, David Mark, was invited to address newly elected lawmakers at an induction course organized by the National Institute for Legislative Studies, his main point was that since 1999, “legislators at the state level had reduced themselves to mere stooges of governors.” In the days when Imo state legislators cherished impeaching their successive deputy governors, Mike Iheanetu, representing Aboh Mbaise admitted that his colleagues across the country were in a banana state in which they conscientiously serve as stooges to their respective governors. In Kogi state, legislators were probably in that mood when they still impeached their deputy governor after a panel set up by them found him not guilty of the charges he was accused of.

In a veiled attempt to rationalize the behaviour of state legislators, Efa Esua, who represents Calabar Municipality in the Cross River State House of Assembly had argued that neither the legislature nor the Judiciary has autonomy and independence. In his words, “when you don’t have autonomy, why won’t you be seen as a rubber stamp? Even to drink water you will wait and depend on the executive. We largely depend on the executive arm of government to get money and survive.” But can pursuing doubtful foreign programmes redress the situation? Is it not better for state legislators to focus more on introspection for reforms so as to come out strongly as the nation grows democratically?

Honestly, our legislators must shelve their propensity to be undemocratic. They need to know that whereas democracy is a game of numbers in which the majority would always have its way, they ought not to clamp down heavily on the minority for exercising the freedom to have a say. It was therefore wrong for the Bauchi state house of Assembly to have in 2012 suspended Rifkatu Samson Danna representing Bogoro Constituency of the state for voicing out her peoples’ opposition to the ‘unconstitutional’ transfer of the headquarters of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area from Tafawa Balewa town. The Kwara state legislature was similarly wrong last year to have suspended, Jimoh Agboola, the only member of the opposition in the 24-member House over comments deemed critical of Governor AbdulRazaq-led administration. These narratives can be stopped without visiting Canada.

October 2, 2022

October 2, 2022 0 comments
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Nigeria Immigration Service
Exclusives

Breaking: 150 officers of NIS due for retirement refuse to go: Lobby and bribe for tenure elongation

by Leading Reporters September 20, 2022
written by Leading Reporters

Following the allegation that the Comptroller General (CG) of Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, Idris isah Jere spent nothing less than N6billion in bribery for a year-long tenure elongation, more than 150 officers who are due for retirement have refused to go, insisting that what is good for the goose is good for the gander, LeadingReporters can authoritatively report.

A source who spoke to this news platform on condition of anonymity revealed that the officers affected are currently bribing some key officers in the Presidency and the Ministry of Interior for their tenures to be pushed far further. 

The source further said that the officers, on realizing that the Comptroller General whose valedictory session has already been planned and date fixed, bribed his way to remain in office, vowed to remain in office as long as the CG Jere continues to hold sway in the organization.

“The CG was due for retirement.  He has prepared his handover note.  Midway into that, he initiated a move at the presidency and in the supervisory ministry and that move costs Nigerian tax payers nothing less than N6billion in bribery.  Before one knew it, his tenure was extended and an in-house and secret decoration ceremony was done in the Minister’s office.  This is despite the millions of Naira that has been budgeted and expended in all the related valedictory sessions that have been planned.

The source said that the decoration ceremony was done in secrecy in order to avoid public outcry. 

Recall that LeadingReporters in its recent publication reported that the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service spent Billions of Naira in bribery for tenure elongation alongside the head of Directorate of Passport and Other Travel Documents DCG Modupe Anyalechi

September 20, 2022 0 comments
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Wanted: 29-Year-Old Nigerian, Defrauded New York State Of $30Million

by Leading Reporters September 11, 2022
written by Leading Reporters

This was contained in a statement by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 

A Nigerian, Chidozie Collins Obasi, has been declared wanted by United States Federal Bureau of Investigation over $30 million fraud.Obasi, 29, was indicted and wanted for defrauding New York by posing as a ventilator seller during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to FBI.

The suspect was indicted last year, but prosecutors in Pennsylvania only unsealed the indictment on Thursday and announced the case Friday. It was learnt that the suspect also targeted Americans through a spam email campaign offering illegitimate “work from home” jobs, adding that he perpetrated the fraud from Nigeria, with the help of co-conspirators in Canada and elsewhere.

This was contained in a statement by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. US Attorney Jacqueline Romero announced that the suspect was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of mail fraud, and 16 counts of wire fraud.

Chidozie Collins Obasi of Nigeria is wanted for defrauding N.Y. State out of more than $30 million. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts should contact their local FBI office or go to https://t.co/M0Wg0RiRKf—anonymous tips OK. More info via @USAO_EDPA: https://t.co/RRow3U6hWD pic.twitter.com/OnG9p5Os7N

— FBI Philadelphia (@FBIPhiladelphia) September 9, 2022

Obasi and his co-conspirators were accused of taking advantage of the EID Loan program by using stolen identities of U.S. citizens to apply for and obtain more than $135,000 in EID Loan proceeds, a statement posted on the US Department of Justice website revealed.

According to the statement, if caught and convicted, Obasi will face a maximum sentence of 621 years in prison, a five-year period of supervised release, and a $5,750,000 fine. He will also be required to make full restitution of the more than $31,000,000 that he obtained by fraud.

The statement read, “United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Chidozie Collins Obasi, 29, of Nigeria, was charged by Indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of mail fraud, and 16 counts of wire fraud, all stemming from a complicated, evolving fraud scheme that initially targeted Americans through a spam email campaign offering illegitimate “work from home” jobs, and then during the COVID-19 pandemic shifted to targeting U.S. hospitals and medical systems by offering non-existent ventilators for sale beginning in March 2020, and finally shifted again in June 2020 to using stolen identity information of American citizens to apply for and obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EID Loans”). 

“The Indictment alleges that Obasi perpetrated this fraud from Nigeria, with the help of co-conspirators in Canada and elsewhere. The defendant and his co-conspirators are alleged to have obtained more than $31,000,000 through this multi-faceted fraud scheme, with the overwhelming majority of that money – more than $30 million – coming from the State of New York for the intended purchase of ventilators.

“The scheme alleged in the Indictment began in September 2018, with a spam email campaign that offered phony “work from home” jobs. When a person responded to the phony job offer, Obasi or a co-conspirator posed as a representative of a legitimate company, often a supposed medical equipment supplier based outside the United States, and offered the person a job as the company’s U.S. representative with responsibilities including collecting on outstanding invoices. 

“A co-conspirator in Canada then sent the new “employee” counterfeit checks purportedly from customers of the company, and the new “employee” deposited the checks, took a commission, and wired the rest of the money to a foreign bank account ostensibly owned by the fake company. As alleged in the Indictment, Obasi and his co-conspirators obtained more than $1 million in this manner.

“The Indictment further alleges that in approximately March 2020, soon after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States and ventilators were in high demand, Obasi posed as a representative of an Indonesian-based medical supply company offering ventilators for sale, and claimed to have a large stockpile of ventilators manufactured by a German company whose headquarters was in Telford, PA.

“The defendant allegedly convinced a medical equipment broker in the U.S. to broker sales of these non-existent ventilators, and ultimately deceived the State of New York into wiring more than $30 million for the purchase of ventilators that did not exist. Obasi continued to target other potential customers with this same scam, including hospitals.

“Later, in approximately June 2020, the Indictment alleges that Obasi and his co-conspirators took advantage of the EID Loan program by using stolen identities of U.S. citizens to apply for and obtain more than $135,000 in EID Loan proceeds.

“Obasi is presently a fugitive, and the United States is seeking to locate and arrest him. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts should contact their local FBI Office.

“If caught and convicted, Obasi faces a maximum sentence of 621 years in prison, a five-year period of supervised release, and a $5,750,000 fine. Obasi also will be required to make full restitution of the more than $31,000,000 that he obtained by fraud.” 

“The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.

An Indictment, Information, or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” the statement added. 

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HeadlinesInvestigation

Busted: Document Shows How Ministry OF Transportation Awarded Contract to Tax Evading Company Owned By APC Caucus Member, Robinson Uwak

by Leading Reporters September 11, 2022
written by Leading Reporters

In what has become a common practice in the Nigerian political circle, a document has revealed that the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, under the Federal Ministry of Transport supervised by Rotimi Amaechi in 2021, awarded a contract to a company owned by a former House of Representatives member, Robinson Uwak who is currently a major stakeholder in the ruling All Progressives Congress.

According to data mined from Open Procurement Portal, the institute, under the stewardship of Bayero Salih Farah as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, awarded a contract to Kidibul Nigeria Ltd for the “Training and empowerment of women in Enugu Metropolis”.

Though the budget for the contract was N35, 000,000.00, it was executed with N32, 581.866.25.  Why the institute awarded the said project to the company to “Train Women” raises eyebrows because the core role of the institute is “providing professional training for middle cadre managers on the areas of transport and logistics and also conduct research and offer consultancy services to both public and private transport and logistics organizations”.

Details of the awarded contract to Kidibul Nigeria Ltd About Kidibul Nigeria Ltd

KIDIBUL NIGERIA LTD was incorporated in ABUJA, Nigeria with Registration Number 1193485. It was registered on 28 May 2014 and its current status is unknown. The company’s registered office address is NO. 21, AGADEZ STREET, OFF AMINU KANO CRESCENT WUSE NULL, ABUJA, F C T.  

At the helm of the company’s board are Robinson Uwak and Ekpo Pauline Aniedu. Names of the board members of Kidibul Nigeria Ltd What you should know about Robinson Uwak Uwak is a former House of Representatives member, who represented Oron Federal Constituency from 2011 to 2015. Uwak formed Kidibul Nigeria Ltd while he was a Rep Member. Meanwhile, only civil servant on a part time basis are permitted by law to engage in or participate in the running of a private business as directors or a private company. News Source: secretsreporter.com

September 11, 2022 0 comments
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Over N17 Billion Looted Years After, Masterminds of the Snakes, Monkeys, Gorillas, Others, Fate yet on Known
Headlines

Over N17 Billion Looted Years After, Masterminds of the Snakes, Monkeys, Gorillas, Others, Fate yet on Known

by Leading Reporters September 11, 2022
written by Leading Reporters

While Nigerians continue to groan over economic hardship, animals, such as snakes, monkeys, gorillas and even termites have been feeding fat from the national treasury. In the last five years, animals have reportedly carted away at least N17,112,800,000.00. In this report, this online media chronicled how various corruption scandals in the nation have been tied to different animals. more importantly, the report x-rayed the status of the individuals behind the missing funds.

Snake Swallowed N36 Million Naira

In February 2018, Nigerians were dazzled by the jaw-dropping and bewildering report that emanated from the Benue JAMB Office, where it was revealed that a mysterious snake swallowed thirty-six million naira (36,000) – the incident had sparked a national outburst as many Nigerians suspected foul play. Recall that auditors from the capital Abuja had been sent to take inventory of funds accrued over the sale of scratch cards to students hoping to gain access to JAMB’s website to register or check status of their admissions. The audit came up after reforms by the current registrar struck out use of the cards. However, they were dazed by the then Clerk, Philomena Chieshe, who could not account for 36 million accrued from the sales of scratch cards.

Harping on the incident, JAMB’s head office in a statement had said “A sales clerk, Philomina Chieshe, told JAMB registrar and his team that she could not account for N36 million she made in previous years before the abolition of scratch cards. In the course of interrogation, Philomena denied the allegations that she stole the money but confessed that her housemaid connived with another JAMB staff, Joan Asen, to “spiritually” (through a snake) steal the money from the vault in the account office”.

EFCC’s Probe

More than a year after the revelation, Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission launched investigation into the issue with a view to bringing the suspect(s) to book.

EFCC said Philomina Chieshe and five others were found complicit over the issue hence their arraignment before a High Court judge in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The story nosedived and took a different twist during hearing. At the resumed hearing of the case involving Samuel Saleh Umoru and Philomina Chieshe, who were formerly Zonal coordinator and Revenue officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board, JAMB, respectively, on March 17, 2020, Stanley Ani, an investigator with the EFCC told the court that Umoru, at various times, instructed Chieshe to pay some monies into his bank account as a loan.

In his examination-in-chief led by Ekele Iheanacho, Ani, who led the team of investigators in the case, told the court that the second defendant, Chieshe, said in her volunteered confession statement that her coordinator, Umoru who is the first defendant had instructed her at various times to pay in some amount of monies into his personal account. “Chieshe submitted copies of tellers showing where she deposited monies into Umoru’s (first defendant) account on his instruction and other documents showing collection of ‘I O U’ by the first defendant from the proceeds of sales of e-facility cards”, a witness revealed. He further told the court that an extraction of details were done on the two bank accounts statements of Chieshe and it was discovered that out of the total Twenty Nine Million, Thirty Four Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty Three Naira, Seventy Two kobo (N29,034,253.72) inflow that her Zenith Bank account received between January 2014 and February 2017, only Two Million, Ninety Four Thousand, Four Hundred and Thirty Three Naira, Seventy Two kobo (N2,094,433.72) were legitimate earnings that came in from JAMB in terms of salary, allowances and dividends from the cooperative society.

Ani then said a total of Twenty Six Million, Nine Hundred and Thirty Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twenty Naira (N26, 939,820.00) were paid into the account by agents contracted by Chieshe to sell e-facility cards on her behalf. While also giving the analysis of the second defendant’s Eco Bank account statement, the witness said a total inflow of One Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Eighty Naira (N1,768,480.00) were paid into the account by various agents who sold the JAMB e-facility cards on her behalf. He further revealed that there were no transfer made to Jamb’s revenue account as remittance, instead almost all the monies were withdrawn through ATM.

However, till date, Nigerians are yet to know the fate of the clerk and the suppose accomplices. This has led to permutations that the issue has been compromised and swept under the carpet. Some school of thought also believe that it’s a case of delayed litigation. Recall that in 2021, Vice President Osinbajo had frowned at delayed litigations in Nigeria. He described the issue of delays in the judicial process as the ‘elephant in the room’, and wondered what would happen to the country’s legal profession in “another 50 years given the gridlock in processing cases through the courts and the question of the integrity of the legal process, or better still, the integrity of actors in the legal process in Nigeria.

” Monkeys Swallowed N70 Million naira In February 2018

A then serving Senator Shehu Sani, stated that a sum of N70 million, which was given to the Northern Forum of Senators, was swallowed by monkeys at Senator Abdullahi Adamu farm. Sani made the revelation shortly after Adamu was deposed as chairman of the Northern Senators Forum. Sani, told newsmen that under Adamu’s leadership, the forum could not account for part of the money inherited from the 7th Assembly. “There are some things that some of my colleagues cannot say but I’m not used to holding back what is the truth. When we resumed as senators, Sen. Ahmed Lawan tendered the sum of N70 million to the 8th Senate. That N70 million was monies gathered by northern senators from the 7th senate. So it was handed over to the 8th senators from northern Nigeria under the 8th Senate.

“I think this country is becoming a huge joke. First of all it was the rodent that drove away the President and we now have snakes consuming about N36 million, and you now you have monkeys,” Sani said. Adamu had reacted by noting that “In order to give a dog a bad name, they now went to say that they had N70m that I mismanaged or whatever.

The NSF, to the best of my knowledge, has never had N70m, at least not during my tenure that they purported it was mismanaged.” However, the issue was swept under the carpet as the nation’s anti-graft agencies did not make any move to probe the alleged missing funds. This is even as Adamu has emerged as the National Chairman of the ruling APC.

Gorilla swallowed N6.8 million naira in Kano zoo In 2019

A gorilla was accused of swallowing N6.8 million in the Kano Zoological Gardens. The finance officer, according to radio station in the state, Freedom Radio, said the gorilla “sneaked into their office” and carted away the money before swallowing it. The managing director of the zoo, Umar Kobo, confirmed that the money is missing and that the issue was being investigated. “The issue is under investigations for now and I don’t want to say anything on the matter, many journalists have come to meet me but I don’t want to talk anything.

What I can confirm is that money is missing,” he told the BBC Pidgin. It was also that 10 persons, including those on duty when the money went missing, have been arrested. However, three years after, Nigerians are yet to know the fate of the individuals that were arrested in connection to the missing funds.  This has led to permutations that the issue has been swept under carpet.

Termites Ate NSITF Vouchers of N17.1bn Spending In August 2022

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund has told the Senate that termites have eaten most of the vouchers containing details of how N17.158 billion yet to be accounted for was spent. As stated in the 2018 audit report, the N17.158 billion was the total amount of money transferred by NSITF from its Skye Bank and First Bank accounts into various untraceable accounts belonging to individuals and companies from January to December 2013. The auditor-general’s office had in the 2018 audit report raised 50 different queries bordering on alleged misappropriation of funds by management of the agency, which is under probe by the Senate committee on Public Accounts.

The report queried that “Management of NSITF as shown in statements of Account No. 1750011691 with Skye bank plc., for the period 1st January, 2013 to 20th December, 2013, and Statements of Account No.2001754610 with First Bank Plc. for the period 7th January, 2013 to 28th February, 2013, transferred amounts totaling N 17,158,883,034.69billion   to some persons and companies from these accounts”. The senate committee chairman, Senator Urhoghide, had ordered those involved in the jaw-dropping scandal to reappear before the committee with all the requested evidential documents unfailingly on September 22, 2022. However, many Nigerians worry that this may be swept under the carpet as common in the society.

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