Andrew Mailafia

A total of 3,785 convictions was secured by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2022.

In a disclosure made by a member it the Legal and Prosecution department of the agency, Ramiah Ikhanaede at during a workshop on the Effective Reporting of Economic and Financial Crimes in Makurdi Zonal Command, said the number was the highest in the history of the commission.

He said, “In 2022, the EFCC hit 3,785 convictions, the highest so far since the formation of the organisation.”

Ikhanaede further stressed that the Makurdi zone of EFCC had already secured 43 convictions plus this year (2023) alone while it also made appreciable outing of 39 convictions in 2022, a total of 16 convictions in 2019 when the zone was established in Makurdi and only nine in 2020 following the COVID-19 disruption.

The enforcement and enlightenment efforts of the Commission is worrisome.
“I therefore appeal to the media to lend a hand in helping to sensitize the youth against internet-related fraud activities. The youth must be reminded that they can productively use the resources available in cyberspace for legitimate pursuits without embracing criminality.”

Two people traveling in a bus conveying some final year students of Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, returning from a picnic, along Osogbo/Ifon/Oyo Boundary road, have been burnt to death in an accident late Wednesday evening.

Five other occupants were rescued by the operatives of Osun Ambulance Scheme that responded to the distress call from the scene of the accident which happened near Ojutu Bridge, Ilobu.

A resident of Okinni, identified as Adeyanju, who spoke to The Punch on Thursday, September 28 that the driver of the bus conveying the victims, had hit a commercial motorcyclist in the town, and was trying to escape the rage of some angry residents chasing after him.

“Few meters from Ojutu Bridge, the driver lost control of the vehicle and the bus somersaulted and caught fire. Some people were rescued before the fire could spread, but three people were burnt to death. Operatives of O’Ambulance Scheme came around to rescue some of the victims,” Adeyanju said.

Meanwhile the Head of Operations, Elizabeth Arowosafe, said the organisation got a distress call around 9:50pm on Wednesday that a bus conveying some final year students of LAUTECH, returning from a picnic was involved in the accident.

She disclosed that they responded around 9:53pm. “I was told the driver had hit someone in Okinni and was speeding to avoid some people around the area chasing after him, when the incident happened.

“The driver alongside a lady and a male student were burnt to death. We were able to rescue 5 people. We rushed them to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital in Osogbo. The hospital did well. In fact, there was no enough space to accommodate the injured people and we had to leave one of our stretchers for them to use.

“We could not recognise the dead victims. They were travelling inside a bus. I learnt that the occupants of the bus are final year students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, who went to Erin-Ijesa waterfall for an excursion.

“One of the injured students confirmed to us that they were coming from an excursion. She gave us names of victims, but she didn’t have the strength to name the others.”

Also commenting on the crash, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Agnes Ogungbemi, said the accident was caused by violation of speed limit which led which led to loss of control.

A National Diploma student of the Nasarawa State-owned Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, Lafia, Taye Ajoke, who was abducted on Monday, has regained her freedom.

The victim was released after a ransom of N300,000 was paid to her abductors.

Ajoke was abducted after heavily armed men while shooting sporadically attacked her residence, Ombi 1, which is two kilometres away from the Polytechnic, and took her to an unknown destination.

The incident also left two other students and a prospective student of the institution with bullet wounds.

Speaking with newsmen on Thursday, September 28, the President of the Students Union Government of the polytechnic, Ekom Ayaka, said Ajoke’s kidnappers had earlier demanded for N50 Million but later reduced the ransom to N500,000 when they noticed that her family and well-wishers could not meet up with their earlier request.

Adding that after several appeals to the kidnappers for a further reduction of the ransom, the kidnappers agreed to release her in exchange for N300,000.

He said, “We are grateful to God that Ajoke has been released by the bandits. She was released around 7pm on Wednesday after a ransom of N300,000 was paid.

The kidnappers first wanted N50million but they later reduced the money to N500,000 when they understood that her family and friends will not be able to get such an amount.

“But after much appeal to them (kidnappers), they told her family to pay the sum of N300,000 that was in their possession. That was how she was released from captivity.”

The legal team of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is planning to file a motion to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s plea for Chicago State University not to release privileged documents in his academic records.

Disclosing this to The Punch, the special Adviser to Atiku on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, said that the legal team had up to 48 hours to respond to the motion in the US court.

Atiku had earlier secured an order for CSU to make the president’s academic records available to his legal team.

A magistrate, Jeffrey Gilbert, had last week ordered Tinubu’s alma mater to provide all relevant and non-privileged documents to the applicant within two days.

Atiku is currently challenging the victory of the former Lagos State governor at the 2023 presidential poll and his recent affirmation by an election petition court in Nigeria.

The documents sought by the PDP candidate, through his counsel, Angela Liu, include the record of admission and acceptance at the university, dates of attendance including degrees, awards, and honors attained by the former governor of Lagos State at the university, among others.

But as the deadline given by Gilbert drew nearer on Thursday, Tinubu’s lawyers approached Maldonado, arguing that the earlier decision by Gilbert needed to be reviewed by a district judge.

The request for a review and delay of the order till Monday was eventually granted by the US district judge.

Tinubu’s application, filed by his lawyers, Oluwole Afolabi and Christopher Charmichael, advanced two reasons.

First was that his academic records in issue are not useful in Nigerian courts as claimed by Atiku because the Nigerian election proceedings and the Nigerian courts have explicitly been unreceptive to the discovery.

The second reason given was that Atiku’s request is unduly intrusive because it allows Applicant (Atiku) to conduct a fishing expedition into intervenor’s private, confidential, and protected educational record.

When asked on Wednesday to confirm if Atiku has filed the suit as he earlier threatened in Monday, Shaibu reassured our correspondent that the former vice president would submit the motion before midnight.

He said, “I am sure you have seen his application. We are working on our response. We have up till midnight today (Wednesday) to respond to them. And we will.”

On when they expect the court to rule over the matter, Shaibu stated that “It is after we have responded to the court, that it will fix the date and inform the parties.”

A La Liga club, Cádiz Club de Fútbol, S.A.D., known as Cádiz, has announced it will pay tribute to late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.

The Spanish professional football club based in Cádiz, Andalusia via its official Facebook page will be paying the tribute with a customised jersey in their home game against Rayo Vallecano tomorrow.

According to the club, Mohbad’s Cadista jersey will be on the bench to give them the strength needed to win the match

𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙤𝙝𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚.”

Recall that on 12 September 2023, MohBad died in Lagos, at the age of 27, and was buried the next day in Ikorodu.

As of press time, the Lagos State Police Command has exhumed the late singer’s body for autopsy.

The speaker of the House of representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has declared the seats of lawmakers appointed as ministers by President Bola Tinubu, vacant.

Tunji Olubunmi-Ojo and Tanko Sununu were the two members of the green chamber appointed as ministers by Tinubu.

Olubunmi-Ojo represented Akoko north-east/ Akoko north-west of Ondo state, while Sununu represented Yauri/Shanga/Ngaski federal constituency of Katsina.

Tinubu had appointed Olubunmi-Ojo as minister of interior, and Tanko Sununu as minister of state for education.

Abbas declared the seats of the former lawmakers vacant after reading their letters of resignation as members of the house of representatives during the plenary on Tuesday.

The declaration of the seats vacant by the speaker is in line with section 68 of the 1999 constitution.

Section 68 of the 1999 constitution states that: “(1) A member of the Senate or the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if -he becomes President, Vice-President, Governor, Deputy Governor or a Minister of the Government of the Federation or a Commissioner of the Government of a State or a Special Adviser.”

The senate has commenced the screening Olayemi Cardoso for the position of substantive governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) alongsides four deputy governor nominees.

The deputy governor nominees are Emem Nnana Usoro, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Philip Ikeazor and Bala Bello.

The upper legislative chamber commenced the process after Opeyemi Bamidele, majority leader of the senate, moved a motion to the effect.

All the nominees have since assumed office in acting capacity following the resignations of Godwin Emefiele as governor of the apex bank and the deputy governors who served with him.

The apex bank said members of the new team assumed their positions after taking the “relevant oaths of office” during a brief ceremony at the bank’s headquarters in Abuja.

Cardoso was nominated as the CBN governor by President Bola Tinubu on September 15, 2023.

The nominees will be screened in the “committee of the whole” because the standing committees of the upper legislative chamber have not been inaugurated.

The senate committee on banking has the mandate of oversight of the apex bank and the country’s financial matters.

The senate resumed plenary today after an eight-week recess.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced dates for the conduct of governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.

In a statement on Monday signed by Sam Olumekun, national commissioner and chairman, information and voter education committee, INEC said the Edo guber poll will be held on September 21, 2024, while that of Ondo will take place on November 16, 2024.

Noting that this is as provided in Section 178 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), INEC said that election into the said offices would hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of` the last holder of the office.The latest date for Election to the office of Governor, Edo State, is 12th October 2024 while that of Ondo State is 24th January 2025.

“Similiarly, Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 requires the Commission to publish Notice for the Election not later than 360 days before the date of the election.”

“In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution and the Electoral Act, the Commission issues the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Edo and Ondo State Governorship elections.

According to the statement, “The Governorship election will hold on Saturday 21st September 2024.”

“Party primaries will hold from 1st – 24th February 2024 while the submission of the list of nominated candidates via the online portal will start at 9.00am on 4th March 2024 and close at 6.00pm on 24th March 2024.”

“The final list of candidates will be published on 23rd April 2024 while campaign in public by political parties commences on 24th April 2024 and ends 24 hours prior to election day on 19th September 2024.”

The statement stressed that in Edo Governorship election would hold on Saturday 16th November 2024.

“Party primaries will hold from 6th – 27th April 2024 while the submission of the list of nominated candidates via the online portal will start at 9.00am on 29th April 2024 and close at 6.00pm on 20th May 2024.”

Stating that the final list of qualified candidates would be published on 18th June 2024, the statement emphasised that campaign in public by political parties would commence on 19th June 2024 and end 24 hours prior to election day on 14th November 2024.

The Federal Operations Unit, Zone C of the Nigeria Customs Service has expressed that it intercepted materials used for the production of explosive devices, cannabis sativa, and other contrabands with a duty paid value of N1.6bn between July and September.

A statement signed on Monday by the Public Relations Officer of the zone, Jerry Attah, the acting Customs Area Controller in charge of the zone, Kayode Kolade, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the government warehouse, in Benin City, Edo State.

Noting that nine suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures during the period under review, Kolade frowned at the spate of smuggling in the zone, said N54.2m was recovered by the zone from demand notices raised based on some infractions noticed, as they raked in a cumulative sum of N1.6bn during the period.

“Other contrabands seized included 417 sacks of cannabis sativa also known as Indian hemp weighing 9; 194kg and 627 compressed parcels of the same Indian hemp one kg each totalling 627kg, nine sacks of explosives’ raw materials (fertilizer, device cables, and superpower90 chemicals) 50kg each; 1,329 bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice 50kg each,” he said.

“Five cartons of DSP Cough Syrup with Codeine 100mg, containing 1000 bottles; 1 unit of armored bullion van; 761 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing; 883 cartons of various unregistered/expired medicaments, including tramadol, 100 cartons of various wines; 5,737 pieces of used pneumatic tires; 335 cartons of smuggled foreign tomato paste; 300 cartons of foreign spaghetti, among others.” Kolade narrated.

The area controller stated that the contrabands were intercepted at different locations under the jurisdiction of the zone.

According to him, “The rice was intercepted along Calabar/Akwa Ibom axis and Okada/Benin Expressway, the 417 sacks and 627 parcels of Indian hemp were intercepted at Okada-Benin and Ewu-Auchi Expressway respectively. 761 Jumbo bales of used clothing mostly concealed in trucks and buses were intercepted along Umeikaa/Aba Road and Okada-Benin road.” he explained.

“The five cartons of DSP cough syrup with codeine, and 883 cartons of unregistered medicaments were intercepted along Benin/Asaba/Onitsha Expressway while the armored bullion van without customs documents and end users certificate was intercepted along Okada/Benin Expressway. 100 cartons of wine and 335 tomato paste were intercepted along the Ewu/Ibilo axis, and 5,737 pieces of used pneumatic tires were also intercepted along Cross River waterside and Okada-Benin Expressway,” he said.

He lamented over the smuggling of explosives adding that the country has continued to grapple with the challenges associated with insecurity.
Kolade warned smugglers to desist forthwith in the interest of humanity or have the law to contend with.

The controller however warned all economic saboteurs who plan to use the ember period for their nefarious acts to have a rethink as the service will make sure they count their losses.

“No amount of distraction will stop us from carrying out our statutory responsibilities not even in the face of attacks we encountered this month by some sponsored elements,” Kolade said.

According to him, “Based on prompt intelligence and sting operation, the rice was intercepted along Calabar/Akwa Ibom axis and Okada/Benin Expressway, the 417 sacks and 627 parcels of Indian hemp were intercepted at Okada-Benin and Ewu-Auchi Expressway respectively. 761 jumbo bales of used clothing mostly concealed in trucks and buses were intercepted along Umeikaa/Aba Road and Okada-Benin Road,” he explained.

“The five cartons of DSP cough syrup with codeine, and 883 cartons of unregistered medicaments were intercepted along Benin/Asaba/Onitsha Expressway while the armoured bullion van without customs documents and end users certificate was intercepted along Okada/Benin Expressway. 100 cartons of wine and 335 tomato paste were intercepted along Ewu/Ibilo axis, 5,737 pieces of used pneumatic tyres were also intercepted along Cross River waterside and Okada-Benin Expressway,” he added.

The two rounds of voting initially set for February 4 and 18, 2024 in Mali would be postponed according to a government spokesperson, Abdoulaye Maiga, on Monday.

In a statement, Maiga, said the postponement was due to “technical reasons”, adding that “those reasons include issues linked to the adoption this year of a new constitution and a review of the electoral lists.”

Citing the dispute with the French company Idemia, which the junta says is involved in the census process as a reason, Maiga stated that the new dates for the presidential election will be communicated later.”

Authorities are also refusing to organise legislative elections, initially scheduled for the end of 2023, before the presidential election.

The junta “has decided to organise, exclusively, the presidential election”, the statement said.

Other elections will be held on a schedule “established by the new authorities, under the directives of the new president”.

The postponement is yet another delay to the junta’s schedule for handing back power to elected civilians.

The soldiers, who carried out back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, had earlier promised legislative elections for February 2022.

But the junta, led by Assimi Goita, announced at the end of 2021 that it was unable to respect the timetable agreed with the regional bloc ECOWAS.

It said it needed more time to carry out deep reforms.

Monday’s statement made no mention of recent security developments, saying only that junta leader Goita intends “to return to a peaceful and secure constitutional order, after carrying out as a priority institutional political reforms”.