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Nasarawa State

Gunmen kidnap Nasarawa State Information Commissioner

by Folarin Kehinde August 16, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

The operative of the Nigeria Police Force, Nasarawa State command has confirmed the abduction of the Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism in the State, Mr. Yakubu Lawal.

Daily Trust learnt that Lawal was kidnapped at his residence in Nasarawa Eggon, the headquarters of Nasarawa Eggon Local government area of the state by gunmen.

The incident, which occured on Monday August 15, 2022 is causing panic in the Nasarawa Eggon LGA of the state where a schoolteacher was killed by some gunmen on Saturday.

It was gathered that the gunmen stormed the residence of the information commissioner at about 8:45pm and started shooting into the air, scaring residents of the area away before abducting him.

A family source also confirmed the incident to our correspondent. It was learn that the operation lasted over 30 minutes before the arrival of security operatives.

Our correspondent reports that the incident is coming 48 hours after a staff member of Government Science Secondary School (GSSS), Nasarawa Eggon LGA, Auta Nasela, was Killed by gunmen at the staff quaters around 8pm on Saturday, while another teacher sustained injuries.

Confirming the commisioner’s abduction in a statement on Tuesday morning, the Police Public Relataions Officer, DSP Rahman Nansel, said the command had already drafted operatives to the scene of the incident with a view to rescuing the victim unhurt.

He said, “Police operatives attached to Nasarawa Eggon Division raced to the scene while the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adesina Soyemi immediately reinforced the men with a combined detachment of the Police Mobile Force, the anti-kidnapping unit, military personnel, vigilantes as well as local hunters.

“On 15/8/202 at about 2045hrs, the attention of policemen on routine patrol was drawn to the sound of sporadic gunshots in the Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of the state. Upon arrival at the scene, it was discovered that gunmen while shooting sporadically, invaded the residence of one Mr. Yakubu Lawal Addah, forcefully abducted him to an unknown destination.

“The search and rescue operation is ongoing by the combined team, led by Area Commander, Akwanga Area Command, ACP Halliru Aliyu to rescue the victim unhurt and arrest the perpetrators of the crime.”

August 16, 2022 0 comments

Meet Mr. Fadeyibi “The Hitman from Transcorp Power Ltd” Doing the ruthless bidding of UBA Bank in AEDC

by Leading Reporters April 13, 2022

written by Leading Reporters

Electricity consumers from the Federal Capital Territory; Nasarawa, Niger, and Kogi States are in for rough times owing to a ruthless revenue drive being spearheaded by Mr. Adeoye Fadeyibi, on behalf of United Bank for Africa, UBA.

UBA is a major creditor to AEDC. Technically, UBA owns the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company AEDC as it stands now. This followed several loan defaults by the electricity distribution company via its UBA Account No. 1019269503.

An insider source said that Tony Elumelu routed for Fadeyibi after the later set up structures in Eko Electricity Distribution Company EKDC that saw revenue skyrocketing and operational costs and losses down. Fadeyi’s feat in Elumelu’s Transcorp Power Ltd, Ugbelli where he ramped up power generation of the company from its abysmal 164MW to 634MW within interval of 25 months was too glaring to be overlooked and needs to be replicated in AEDC, by Tony Elumelu’s estimates.

Other accounts the company maintains with UBA include AEDC Impress Funding Account No. 22174094498. This account has become a conduit through which billions of Naira were fleeced under the subheading – Operational impress. For instance, between October and December, 2018, a total of N1,579,015,000 was mopped into the account as imprest. UBA Account No 10176666012 is believed to be another suspicious account with which the erstwhile management of AEDC carried out their acts.

Other AEDC accounts with UBA include account no. 1019034680. This account, according to investigation was used to sweep funds which were later diverted to yet another UBA account No 1017547366.

Another interesting activity uncovered is a UBA Account No.1017681365, allotted to AEDC WAMBA, Nasarawa State. The account is shrouded in secrecy and may have been used as a veritable conduit for diversion of funds. AEDC Okene Area Office with UBA account numbers 1021027984 and 1017805387 are two of the many accounts of AEDC that were structured to be leveraged to soothe the stealing appetite of the erstwhile management of AEDC.

According to a discreet source, the former management played a conscious, pre-meditated role that paved way for UBA acquisition of AEDC.

Kabba AEDC Account No 1017805387 was another porous and specially structured account allegedly used in fleecing the Federal Government.

Mr. Fadeyibi prior to being drafted to AEDC by Tony Elumelu-led UBA worked as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Power Limited, Ugbelli. The company is owned by Tony Elumelu. Mr Fadeyibi career path has as well cut across Eko Electricity Distribution Company where he was the MD/CEC as well as General Electricity.

A discreet source who spoke to LeadingReporters on condition of anonymity said that Mr Fadeyibi is on a mission. A ruthless mission to bend all known rules in the bank’s bid to recover all the monies and loans AEDC owns UBA.

“His mission from his paymaster is clear – Bend all rules, squeeze all sources and get us all the money. Unfortunately, the consumers are the ones to be squeezed in a sector where regulators are in the pockets of the players. It is a pathetic situation”.

The electricity consumers with the capital territory and its neighboring states are in for a hard and sad time as the move by UBA would see them paying for more and getting less in terms of quality service.

“Money, revenue, more revenue and more profits are now the drive force in AEDC”

“The former guys were hired to play the role they played that paved way for UBA to take over AEDC. AEDC is one of the electricity distribution companies that has proved to be viable. UBA management has been eyeing the company and incessant loan was the best way to dive in”.

UBA continued to avail its loan spree to AEDC, targeting that a time would come when AEDC would not be able to meet its financial obligation to the bank, thereby paving way for outright ownership.

“Tony Elumelu understands the viability of AEDC, being someone whose company Transcorp Power Limited is a player in the power sector”. The source said.

April 13, 2022 0 comments

Investigation

Revealed: How AEDC Spent Over N16b In a day On Admin. Expenses; Allegedly Evade Tax and Use Inflated Costs to Shortchange FG (Part 1)

by Leading Reporters March 30, 2021

written by Leading Reporters

Financial records unveiled by the League of Patriot, exclusively obtained by LeadingReporters, has alleged that AEDC uses different accounts, mainly domiciled with the United Bank of Africa, UBA and recently, Fidelity Bank to perpetrate these nefarious acts.

The accounts include AEDC Impress Funding Account with UBA. Account No. 22174094498. This account has become a conduit through which Billions of Naira are fleeced under the subheading – Operational imprest. For instance, between October and December, 2018, a total of N1,579,015,000 was mopped into the account as impress.

It was John Perkins, the author of “Confession of An Economic Hitman” who said that electricity, industrial parks, highways and ports are the things that made huge profits for companies that are sent to wreak havocs on the economies of target-nations.

Perkins’s confession in his widely-read book gives a clue to why Nigerians, the Federal Government and electricity consumers would remain at the mercy of companies like Abuja Electricity Distribution Company AEDC. Mr. Perkins went further to expose how they coopt local greedy economic jackals in government offices, the banking and other strategic sectors in any country of their interest to ensure that their appetite to ruin and hold the people in perpetual poverty are sealed.

AEDC activities, according to investigation carried out by group of concerned Nigerians under the umbrella of League of Patriots revealed that the company is structured to fleece Nigeria, exploit the people, defraud the system, evade tax and by extension divert all the proceeds of their loots to their agents both locally and internationally.

The group has promised to work with the anti-corruption agencies, especially the Economic and Financial Crime Commission under its new leadership that has expressed interest to institute a probe in the power sector.

Another Imprest Account as claimed by Leagues of Patriots is Account No. 1017666012, with United Bank of Africa, which is used for these alleged nefarious activities. Investigation carried out by the group revealed further that Account No. 1019034680 with UBA is used to sweep funds which are later diverted to yet another UBA account No 1017547366.

Furthermore, yet another account uncovered by the group is a UBA Account No.1017681365, allotted to AEDC WAMBA, Nasarawa State. A close investigation revealed that the said account is not linked to any TIN no, which makes it hard for Government to collect its tax from AEDC.

AEDC Okene Area Office with Account No 1021027984 with UBA is one of the many accounts of AEDC that were structured to evade tax as all proceeds from Okene axis were technically structured to evade tax.

Kabba AEDC Account No 1017805387 is another porous and specially structured account allegedly used in fleecing the Federal Government. Recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria has 40% stake in AEDC through its agency, Bureau of Public Enterprises. The agency, according to League of Patriots has become a willing partner in crime in short-changing the Government and the people of Nigeria.

All efforts to get AEDC to address the issue proved abortive as no replies were given to mails sent to them, for official response despite series of promises from the communication and accounts units of AEDC to do so

March 30, 2021 0 comments

Headlines

Nassarawa Government Applauds NASENI on Engineering Innovation

by Folarin Kehinde February 24, 2021

written by Folarin Kehinde

The Governor of Nassarawa State, Engineer Abdullahi Sule has commended the giant strides achieved by the National Agency for Science and Innovation (NASENI) in promoting Scientific Engineering Innovation and solutions in Agriculture, Power, and Educational advancement in Nigeria.

Engineer Sule while speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at a facility tour to the Agency stated that the activities of the agency is commendable and indeed not a waste of national resources.

“I had a different concept of what NASENI was until today.

“And I think with what I have seen Nigeria is definitely making the right decision by taking 1% of our federation account to boost the activities of Naseni.”.

According to Engr. Sule, agriculture is the main source of income to more than 80 per cent of the state population and major industrialists and business owners have made the state a hub for their agricultural businesses and investments due to the large expanse of land that the state has.

He further stated that ” Flour Mills of Nigeria is today getting ready to acquire 20,000 hectares of land, 10,000 hectares for flour and 10,000 for sugar

“Dangote has acquired 68,000hectares of land for sugarcane and with that we should be able to produce 400,000 metrics tonnes of sugar locally”.

He added that today, Nigeria does not even produce 50,000 out of the 1.2 million metric tones that Nigeria consumes, by the time they produce 400,000 metric tones in one location in Nigeria that is already one-third of the size of what Nigeria produce annually.

By the time this is done, they should be able to produce 96 megawatt of power and 48 of this will go the national grid for Nigeria to use.

In addition to that, we will be to produce ethanol for our gas and apart from the animal feeds they will be able to employ not less than 30,000 Youths directly.

While pledging for collaboration with NASENI, the governor requested that zonal institute for Agricultural equipment be moved to the capital city, Lafia.

“Am impressed with what NASENI is doing and I strongly believe we can collaborate with NASENI on Science and Engineering Infrastructure”.

“I want to commend Mr. President for appointing the idea of your zonal institute for Agricultural equipment and I want to call on President Muhammad Buhari to site the regional one for north central in Lafia.”.

Earlier the Executive Vice Chairman, NASENI, Prof. M. S. Haruna led the tour to various facilities in the agency.

February 24, 2021 0 comments