Folarin Kehinde

recommends trial of Boss Mustapha, 12 top CBN Executives

Mr Jim Obazee, the Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the management of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele has recommended the trial of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and 12 top executives of the bank for trial over fraudulent withdrawal of $6.23milion from the apex bank to allegedly pay foreign election observers.

According to the Special Investigator, $6.3 million was allegedly removed from the vaults of Foreign Payments Office, Abuja Branch, of the CBN as captured on CCTV between 7th February and 8th February 2023.

The Special Investigator said he viewed the CCTV footage of the removal of the cash done about two weeks to the 2023 presidential election purportedly on the order of a letter dated 23rd January, 2023, with a signature mark, ‘Muhammadu Buhari’, which was sent to a government official with caption, ‘ Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions’

This, the Investigator said was followed by another letter dated 26th January, 2023, with signature mark, directed to’ Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria’, for payment of the sum of $6.23million as ‘ a contingent logistics advance… in line with Presidential directive and another follow-up letter dated 31st January, 2023, was sent to the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, requesting for approval to effect payment of the sum of $6.23m.

The Special Investigator said the fraudulent withdrawal was uncovered on the 4th of December, when he issued a Request for Information to the management of the CBN.

He accused the former SGF, and the top government officials of engaging in “forgery, concealment, conspiracy and fraud” over withdrawal of the funds.

According to the Special Investigator, an official of the CBN admitted in a written statement that he “acted in collaboration with, an Assistant Director in the Banking supervision Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria and some persons he is yet to identify, to conceive and carry out the act of stealing the sum of $6.23million out of the vault of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He said two top CBN officials are already in custody over the incident.

“There is therefore an appearance of concealment by officers who occupied some positions up to, and around the period 7 and 8th February, 2023.”

Mr Obazee asked the government to prosecute directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Director and Branch Controllers over the fraudulent cash withdrawal.

The Federal Government has said that Nigerians with expired passports who are planning to return home for the holidays should be allowed into the country.

This was contained in a letter dated December 22, 2023, and signed by the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Wura-Ola Adepoju, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, through the Office of Assistant Comptroller General, Border Management.

The Immigration Service asked that Nigerians “be admitted into the country with their expired Nigerian passports”.

The statement reads: “l am directed to refer to the above subject matter and to inform you that the Federal Government of Nigeria in her efforts to make life easy for Nigerians in the diaspora has approved that all Nigerians returning home can be admitted into the country with their expired Nigerian passports.

“I am further directed to inform airlines coming to Nigeria to allow holders of Nigeria expired passports to board without let.

“In furtherance to the foregoing, all Nigeria Embassies and High Commissions are advised to give this directive the highest publicity it deserves.

“Consequent upon the above, all entry/exit points are by the copy of this letter directed to open a help desk for all Nigerians in this category and directed same to passport offices where their passports will be reissued within a maximum of two (2) weeks.”

A reliable source at the NIS who craved anonymity confirmed that the policy was not new as the federal government did the same last year.

Somtochukwu Okwuoha, a Nigerian student at Dundee University, Scotland, has been sentenced to 40 months behind bars over threats to bomb the institution.

The Perth Sheriff court ruled that the international energy studies student should be deported after serving his jail term.

In November, the court found the 26-year-old master’s student guilty of seven charges, including making terrorist threats against the university. He was remanded in custody.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) disbursed a total of N4.7 billion to the six area councils and other agencies of the territory for the month of November.

The FCT Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, announced this during the 184th Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting on Friday.

She stated that the allocation is a positive step towards fostering growth and prosperity in the territory’s communities and their visionary stewards.

The six area councils received a total of N2.2 billion, with Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) receiving N501 million, Gwagwalada N360 million, and Kuje N396 million.

Bwari Area Council got N351 million, Abaji N309 million, and Kwali received N358 million.

School Teachers N2 billion, Pension Funds N226 million, Training Fund N47 million, and the Employer Pension Contribution received N107 million.

The 184th JAAC meeting was attended by various officials, including FCTA Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola (represented by Director of Office Permanent Secretary, Samuel Atang), Secretary Area Council Services, Bitrus Garki, and Director of Finance and Administration in Area Council Secretariat, Omolola Olanipekun.

The Chairman of Abaji Area Council, Abubakar Abdullahi, and his Kwali Council counterpart, Danladi Chiya, were also in attendance.

The Rivers State Police Command has banned the use of fireworks and tinted glasses in Port Harcourt and its environs ahead of the yuletide.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe Koko, in a statement on Friday, warned retailers of fireworks to cease their sales, saying defaulters would be arrested and prosecuted.

Koko also warned against the covering of number plates on vehicles, saying the practice hindered effective law enforcement and compromised public safety.

The police in Oyo State have taken swift action following an attack on a commercial bus transporting Christmas gifts intended for Ibadan family heads, known as Mogajis, on Thursday.

Fifteen suspects allegedly involved in the incident have been arrested and arraigned, with some stolen items recovered.

According to a senior police source, efforts are underway to apprehend additional suspects who fled the scene.

The perpetrators assaulted the bus carrying Christmas presents designated for the Mogajis at the Oja’ba area in Ibadan South East Local Government Area. Shockingly, one of the Mogajis was reportedly present during the assault.

The source revealed that the arrests were made after the incident was reported at the Mapo Police Station

The assailants, apparently mistaking the contents of the bus for palliatives, ransacked the vehicle, making off with items such as rice, chickens, and groundnut oil.

After receiving the report, the police searched nearby shops, leading to the recovery of some of the stolen items.

The identity of the donor of the gifts remains undisclosed, prompting speculation about whether it was an individual or a governmental entity.

Investigations are ongoing as the police intensify efforts to locate and apprehend the remaining suspects linked to the attack.

Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has been released from the Kuje Correctional Center after fulfilling his bond requirements.

The development was confirmed on Saturday, December 23, by Adamu Duza, the spokesperson for the Kuje Correctional Centre, Federal Capital Territory.

He said: “I can confirm to you that he (Emefiele) has met his bail conditions, hence he has no reason to remain in our facility.

“He met his bail condition and was released past 2pm yesterday (Friday).”

Emefiele, who is being tried for alleged procurement fraud, was granted N300 million in bail by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.

Justice Hamza Muazu granted the bail with two sureties in like sum.

According to the judge, the sureties had to possess titles and certificates of occupancy for homes located in Abuja’s Maitama District.

In addition, he mandated that Emefiele stay inside the Abuja Municipal Area Council and that he turn in all of his travel documents to the court registrar.

The judge, however, ordered that Emefiele should remain in Kuje Correctional Centre till he meets the bail conditions.