Photo: EFCC arraigns banker for stealing N27m from a customer

Read the EFCC press statement below..

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Monday 3rd August 2015, arraigned one Bawa Momodu before Justice I.E Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on a 16-count charge bordering on forgery, uttering and stealing to the tune of N27million. The petitioner, Sterling bank Plc, alleged that Momodu, a former staff of the bank, stole about N27m from the account of one of its customers. The accused allegedly forged the signature of the said account holder, and fraudulently withdrew the monies from the bank.

Investigations further revealed that the said amount was transferred to the Sterling Bank account of one Emilia Ugwandu, who is now at large, in a bid to hide the source of the stolen funds. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him

One of the counts reads, “that you Bawa Momodu, male, on or before the 17th day of December, 2012 in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court did present to officials of Sterling Bank Plc a forged Sterling Bank Fund Transfer document No. 1238802 in favor of Don Kumy Ventures Nigeria Limited, with the intent that Sterling Bank Plc may act upon it as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Revised Edition, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 1(2) of the same Act”.

In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, A. Olatunji asked for a date for the commencement of trial. However, the defence counsel, K. Allen Nwogwama prayed the court to grant his client bail. Justice Ekwo granted the accused person bail in the sum of Seven Million Naira (N7, 000,000.00), and one surety in like sum. The surety must be a responsible member of the society with landed property worth the bail sum, to be verified by the court registrar and the prosecution. The accused person is also to be reporting at the EFCC on the last day of every month.

In a related development, Justice Ekwo has ordered the remand of one Festus Agadi in prison custody till September 23, 2015, when his application for bail would be considered. Agadi was docked by the EFCC August 3, on a one count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N1,700,000.00 (One Million Seven Hundred Thousand Naira). He pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him. The accused, an employee of Petra Services Limited, is alleged to have defrauded the company to the tune of N1, 700,000.00 (One Million Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) only on the pretext that the money was the cost price of a used Caterpillar Excavator Engine he has secured for the company.

The charge reads, “that you, Festus Agadi Orji on or about the 21st day May, 2015 at Sterling Bank Nigeria Plc, Artillery Branch, Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N1, 700.000.00 (One Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) from Petra Services Limited which was paid into Black Duke Global Services Ltimited’s First Bank Account No. 2026661557 under the false pretence that the said sum of money was the purchase price of one (1) used Caterpillar Excavator Engine from Ibadan which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006”.

More names of bank debtors released

The Central Bank of Nigeria-initiated name and shame campaign of banks’ delinquent debtors gained further momentum on Wednesday as First City Monument Bank Limited and Ecobank Nigeria published their lists.

The lists have the names of popular companies, whose directors are prominent Nigerians appearing among the high non-performing loan defaulters.

MRS Oil & Gas, a major player in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry, topped FCMB’s list of delinquent debtors with a N6.2bn non-performing loan. The list has 86 names with a combined bad debt of N17.11bn.

White Diamond Property Development Limited, a firm owned by a business mogul, Rabiu Isiyaku Rabiu, is the second on the list with a debt of N616m.

Two companies belonging to an ex-Minister of Sports, Saidu Samaila Sambawa, occupied the fourth and sixth numbers on the FCMB list.

The firms, Sigma Engineering & Construction Limited and Sambawa Farms have a combined delinquent facility of N1.04bn.

Niger Global Engineering & Technology Company Limited, a firm belonging to Senator Hope Uzodinma, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, was number eight on the FCMB debtors’ list, with N338.85m

The name of the same company appears on the Ecobank Nigeria’s delinquent debtors’ list, with a bad loan of N94.3m recorded against it.

Global Energy Resources, which according to FCMB, belongs to Mr. Olatunde Ayeni, who is the Chairman of Skye Bank Plc, owes N175m.

Suzzatej Nigeria Limited, whose directors are listed as Prince Olanrewaju Adeyemi Tejuosho, Princess Mojisola Tejuosho, children of the Osile Oke Ona, Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, and two others, is said to owe the bank N84m

In total, the 86 names on the list owe FCMB a combined sum of N17.1bn.

Ecobank Nigeria, which has 73 names on its list, is being owed a total sum of N5.4bn by the delinquent debtors.

Tmeans that the debtors are owing FCMB and Ecobank a total sum of N22.5bn.

Plasto Crown Nigeria Limited, a firm belonging to a former Minister of Environment and Housing, Lady Helen Esuene, and other people, is said to owe Ecobank N11.1m.

Banks, which are expected to publish the lists of their delinquent debtors later this week or before the end of the month are Standard Chartered Bank, Keystone Bank, Citibank, Wema Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc.

The banks, which had published the lists of their delinquent debtors on Monday were Zenith Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Heritage Bank Limited, Enterprise Bank Limited, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Access Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and Unity Bank Plc.

The Central Bank of Nigeria had on April 22, 2015 directed the banks, discount houses and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria to publish the list of their delinquent debtors from August 1.

They are to publish the names in at least three national newspapers on a quarterly basis.

In line with the directive, the banks gave the chronic debtors a 3-month grace period, which expired on July 31.

Punch

REVEALED: Ex-NSA Sambo Dasuki In N1.75bn Arms Fraud

According to SR, they just learned of a monumental $8,853,600 (N1,751,864,867) fraud in the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) during the just-terminated tenure of Mr. Sambo Dasuki.

The fraud pertains to shipments of guns and ammunitions allegedly for the fight against Boko Haram terrorists, for which the amount was allegedly allocated for the purchase of arms and ammunition, none of which seem to have ever arrived in Nigeria.

This fraud appears to have been perpetrated at a time that Nigeria was in desperate need of military hardware to fight the insurgency in the North East part of the country, with Boko Haram murdering or abducting thousands of innocent Nigeria. Why are some people so heartless? See details...

The then President, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, and his officials, were also openly critical of international partners, including the United States, for not selling arms to Nigeria.

The news of this particular fraud breaks only two weeks after the former the home of Mr. Dasuki was raided by State Security agents for his connection to the South Africa cash-for-arms scandal last year. In it, $15 million cash in Nigeria funds being brought into that country was impounded by the authorities.

The shocking documents obtained by Sahara Reporters include an itemized End User Certificate (EUC) dated September 2014 and bearing the stamp of the Office of the National Security Adviser. The EUC includes the purchase of 1,200 Tavor X95 Rifles, 2 million 5.56mm bullets, and 2 million 9mm bullets totaling nearly 9 million dollars.

SaharaReporters also learned that the prices of the weapons and ammunition on the EUC were suspiciously inflated, as much as 50% in some cases. Sahara Reporters’ investigation has revealed that Tavor X95 rifles retail at around $1,500 (298,530 Naira) each, and that 9mm and 5.56mm rounds range from .25 cents and .36 cents (50 and 70 Naira) per round. The EUC has a suspicious bulk purchase of Tavor X95 rifles at $4,860 (967,237 Naira) each, and the ammunition costs .65 cents (129 Naira) per bullet.

Other documents obtained by SaharaReporters reveal that on June 19, 2015 Brigadier General for National Security AS Mormoni-Bashir sent a panicky letter on behalf of Mr. Dasuki requesting Tar Ideal Concepts Ltd, which is located in Israel, to provide the contents of the EUC to Nigeria noting that “the shipment is long overdue with its implications on the use of the weapons.”

The letter further stated that the weapons and ammunitions were purchased by a middleman, Carrington White Investment Limited.

Sahara Reporters contacted a representative of Tar Ideal Concepts who confirmed that they worked with “Carrington White” as a middleman between the company and the Nigerian government. Asked about the relationship between Tar Ideal Concepts, Carrington White, and the Nigerian government, the representative said Tar Ideal Concepts was responsible for selling the weapons and ammunition to the Nigerians, and Carrington White was responsible for the distribution of the munitions and weapons.

The representative added that he “was not responsible for the shipment” and only deals with the end-user. A second letter obtained by SaharaReporters, dated June 19th 2015, also written by Brigadier General Mormoni-Bashir to the Israeli government-owned Israeli Military Industries (IMI) confirmed that the Office of the NSA had received a notice from IMI that it required an “Import License on the procurement” of 4 million rounds. According to Mormoni-Bashir, “the shipment does not require import license as an End User Certificate has already been issued to Carrington White.”

It was also revealed during the phone call with Tar Ideal Concepts representative that up till now, the IMI is still physically in possession of the ammunition being requested by Nigeria, as it has not left Israel. The Tar Ideal Concepts representative said that the company was “responsible for obtaining sales permits from the Israeli government” but that Carrington White was responsible for obtaining all relevant documents from the Nigerian government. He also stated that Tar Ideal Concepts obtained all required documents by December 31st, 2014.

Sahara Reporters reached out by phone to representatives of IMI who declined to comment on our investigation.

During the course of Sahara Reporters’ investigation, it was learned that Carrington White Investments Limited, who was issued the EUC by the Office for National Security, is headed by Mr. Bestman Uwadia. Confidential sources provided a photograph of Mr. Uwadia’s international passport to Sahara Reporters which states that he was born in Jos, Plateau State, in 1969. This same source told Sahara Reporters that Mr. Uwadia is personally close to former President Jonathan.

Sahara Reporters contacted Mr. Uwadia on his mobile phone and he at first confirmed to our correspondent that he worked with Carrington White Limited and “the shipment arrived three weeks ago,” but that he could not remember a specific date. This statement, however, is in direct contradiction with other evidence gathered by Sahara Reporters.

Mr. Uwadia became hostile to our correspondent’s questions and began denying his prior statements. He instead directed all remaining questions to the Office of the NSA.

Sahara Reporters correspondents reached out to the Office of the NSA for an explanation relating to the cost of the weapons and ammunition; the reason the Nigerian military has not received the goods listed on the EUC, and their relationship with Carrington White.

One high-ranking official previously associated with the Office for the NSA admitted to our correspondent “the cost of these items looks to be too high.” In a written statement to SaharaReporters an NSA representative declared, “Only NSA is authorized to issue End User Certificates (EUC).” The official also confirmed that the EUC SaharaReporters showed them had been “legally awarded.”

Significantly, this statement described Carrington White as “authorized and recognized suppliers to the producing companies/countries.”

The statement also said, “When the Contractor couldn’t supply the items [in the EUC] immediately, NSA instructed that a warning letter should be issued to the contractor for prompt supply” adding that “the use of middle man (Agent for arms supplies) is conventional in arm [sic] purchase.”

News of this latest scandal involving the Office of the NSA follows months of controversy surrounding how Nigerian soldiers have been under-equipped to fight Boko Haram terrorists. The lack of resources and equipment for Nigerian soldiers on the frontline of the fight against Boko Haram forced many soldiers to desert or resign from their posts.

Just last week, the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, who was sacked recently, declared that he had led a military, which lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight Boko Haram terrorists.

Woman who Secretly Use Naija Ladies for Prostitution Exposed

Hmm! Desperate ladies from Edo and Delta states, the shame some of you are bringing to us is just too bad. This show of shame has reached the level that mothers now take their daughters by themselves to take demonic oath that would enable them travel out with this woman above for prostitution.

In fact, the big girls are made to take off their clothes in the process. See shocking details below:

According to a reliable source Madam Esther Otubo Nicole (pictured above) is a Human Trafficker who send Nigerian girls into prostitution in Dubai, she videotapes Edo and Delta ladies girls n*de and recruit them into prostitution in the Arab country. A source personally got the video of two different girls.

The email below was received from an anonymous source:

There Is A Criminal On The Run And We Need To Track Her Down
This criminal is like none that you have come across before. She is a “Madam” and a human trafficker. She takes desperate young Nigerian girls on a s*x slave mission to Dubai or other Middle Eastern countries for prostitution.

Before they leave Nigeria, she would first swear the desperate girls and their mothers to some local shrine in the belief that such would place a curse of sudden death on those girls were they to disobey her.

The total amount she plans to get from each girl is about $30,000. The girl is to prostitute herself and collect money from men and keep giving such money to the woman until she agrees she has received $30,000 from the girl.

This Madam uses blackmail as an additional means of enforcing her plan. She takes avideo recording of each girl, who is made to stand fully n*de. She says to each girl that if she failed to pay her $30,000 when she gets to Dubai or elsewhere, she would release the video tape and that if she paid, she would delete the videotape. These girls apparently agreed to this. I use the word, “apparently” on purpose to raise questions about the voluntariness of these girls’ participation in this, ostensibly, some of these girls have not paid the Madam all the money she demanded of them.

That must have been what led to the Madam releasing these video. I have personally seen videos of three girls in such humiliation. People forwarded them to me in order for me to use DPA to help track down the woman that is behind all this.

A friend of mine and a member of DPA who discussed this with me yesterday over an inbox exchange has already taken some steps. He has contacted the UAE Embassy in Washington and the FBI Crime Alert. That is a reasonable action to take. Any other member of this group who knows what to do about this problem should do so.

Another Email sent in Read:
We Have Identified The Madam/Trafficker Who Videotapes and Blackmails Nigerian ladies in Dubai. We now have her particulars, and we are now seeking to get her arrested in Dubai.

There are many many Nigerian girls suffering under her control. These girls lack the ability to cry out. They are in slavery and bondage [all because of the greed for money]. We must set them free and we must have the Madam arrested.

Madam’s name is Otubo Nicole
Her Phone is: +971 55 837 88 59
City of Residence: She lives in Marina in Dubai
Country of Origin: Nigeria
Relative: She has a daughter who is serving on NYSC in Nigeria
Habit: She is a heavy whiskey drinker.

To Watch The Shocking Video of One of The Girls She Used CLICK HERE

Can My Igbo Brothers Endure Opposition Politics In Nigeria?

Written by Joe Igbokwe
I want the Igbo nation, where I come from, to play opposition politics in Nigeria at least for the next ten years so that the world will take them serious once again in matters of Nigerian politics. In the first Republic, the Igbo-dominated NCNC formed an alliance with the northern-based NPC to form a government in the center. In the Second Republic the Igbo-dominated NPP again teamed up with the NPN to form the national government in the center.

In the third Republic during the NRC-SDP era, MKO Abiola won the election fair and square on the platform of the SDP but the majority of the Igbo, led by the late Odumegwu Ojukwu, (Ikemba Nnewi) the late Evans Enwerem, and Okwesilieze Nwodo, teamed up with prominent Igbo and even some prominent Yoruba leaders to support IBB, Shonekan, and Abacha to sustain the annulment of that election. Again, for 16 years the PDP was in power in Nigeria, and the Igbo was with the PDP.

Now the outcome of the 2015 elections has forced the Igbo to be in the opposition.


But will the Igbo play opposition politics in Nigeria and hold on to it at least in the next 10 years just to surprise people like us who think it is not possible? Can Igbo shame critics and tell them that the spoils of office and love for money will not allow them to play opposition politics?

Can the Igbo make history by choosing to 'suffer' a little in other to be relevant again in Nigerian politics? Can the Igbo show other Nigerians for once that they too can withstand the pressure of being in the opposition for a while?

Can the Igbo demonstrate capacity and capability now by working with South-South, the North, and other Nigerians to rebuild the PDP, even if it takes 20 years? Will the Igbo jettison the love to support any government in power to redeem its battered image of playing Ugba and Okpoloko politics? Can the Igbo do this for me and other Igbo like me who feel ashamed that we must support any government in power in order to survive? When did the Igbo cease to be a proud people? Did we not fight a civil war for three years with empty stomachs? Did we not prove to the world that we are strong men and women in those three long years?

The Yoruba nation I know has been in the opposition even since the inception of Nigeria and yet they are not the worst in Nigeria. After the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential elections won by Moshood Abiola, the powers that be tried to console the Yoruba by appointing Ernest Shonekan the head of the interim government. Did Yoruba accept Shonekan? No, they did not. They did not come out on the streets with Gbedu Drums to celebrate Yoruba and Chief Shonekan. Yoruba proudly told the powers that be that you can only be the Head of State in Nigeria through two methods: either through an election or through a successful coup d’état. In the case of Shonekan, he did not ascend to power through either of the above processes. He was therefore rejected by the Yoruba.

Now, if it were the Igbo, would they have reasoned this way? I doubt it. In the struggle for June 12, Abiola was put in detention, and his wife killed. Several Yoruba people were in detention and some hounded abroad. Abiola was eventually killed. But did the Yoruba go to war or resort to self-determination? No, they did not. They fought back using common sense and the power of ideas.

In 1998 when the presidency was zoned to the South-West because the late MKO Abiola has paid the supreme price, the Yoruba preferred Olu Falae but the powers that be forced Obasanjo on Nigeria. Now did the Yoruba accept Obasanjo because he is a Yoruba man? They did not. This unique race rejected Obasanjo for the eight years he was in office, from 1999 to 2007. To date the Yoruba still believe that Obasanjo wasted their eight years. OBJ was rejected even in his own ward, in his local government, and in the whole of the Western Region. That is the Yoruba nation for you. Can the Igbo do this? I doubt it.

After the 2003 elections, the PDP stole all the states in the South-West, leaving only Lagos because they were afraid of the trouble Lagosians will give them. The former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, fought back like a wounded lion with his committed associates to reclaim almost all the States in the South-West. He did not stop there; he spread his intimidating political tentacles across Nigeria, forming alliances across building networks and bridges, and the result is what we saw on Saturday, March 28, and April 11, 2015. Now, can any leader in the South-East achieve this feat? Where is the character? Where is the courage? Where is the wisdom and understanding? Where is the common sense? Where is the discipline? Where is the capacity and capability?

After the 2015 elections, where the Igbo lost their deposit by putting all their eggs in one basket, many Igbo leaders claimed that the Igbo made the right political choices given the circumstances on the ground then. Dr. Ebigwe, Senator Ekweremadu, Ken Nnamani, Professor Anya O. Anya, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Peter Obi, Ohaneze, Aka Ikenga, Ndigbo Lagos, MASSOB, and even the Igbo in diaspora spoke with one voice in saying the Igbo voted well by pitching their tent with Jonathan. Yes, the Igbo have said they voted right, but in actions and in deeds, they have been busy looking for ways to sneak into the APC.

After President Buhari trounced Jonathan on March 28th, 2015, panic gripped Igbo politicians, businessmen and women and the traders. They have been running helter-skelter, looking for where to seek refuge. I remember a night in the house of a very successful Igbo trader in Ikoyi shortly after the presidential election, when it became obvious that PMB had carried the day. They gathered to contribute money to support to the APC. Even those who traveled home for the Easter holiday donated money from the East just to belong. I felt ashamed that my people couldn’t defend their honor and integrity even in times of trouble.

On Saturday, July 25th, 2015, a group who worked against APC in Lagos called Igbo United Political Forum organized a reception to honor Governor Rochas Okorocha. Behind the smokescreen was an attempt to sneak through the back door to the APC, having missed the front door on March 28th and April 11th, 2015. The organizers reaped what they sowed, as all the APC leaders they invited stayed away. They licked their wounds and went home to cry. Time and space will not permit me to recall various moves our people have made to find their way to the APC. Those who are still very angry about the colossal loss have pitched their tent with the Biafra mantra. When we lose out in national politics as a result of myopic and timid political thinking and calculations, the next move is to resort to ethnic politics. Nobody is deceived.

My humble submission is that the Igbo should learn how to play opposition politics, and the time to do so is now. The Igbo will not die if they are not in the APC or part of the government in power. After all, the Yoruba have been in opposition for a long time—since the 60s, and still they have not perished. Let the Igbo work with other PDP leaders across Nigeria to start strategizing to reposition, rebrand, and rebuild the PDP. This is the way to political rebirth and redemption. If you have many bushes to clear, you have to sharpen your knife very well.

- Joe Igbokwe is based in Lagos

PHOTO: Kachikwu Takes Over As NNPC GMD

President Muhammadu Buhari's appointment of Emmanuel Kachikwu as NNPC Group Managing Director is coming at a time when the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) made public an independent analysis of the NNPC. Their investigation unveiled the over $32 billion in oil revenue that Nigeria lost due to the money laundering and mismanagement of crude in the NNPC.

Mr Kachikwu has taken over officially and he is expected to use his law background to stop the stealing.

Photos: New NNPC GMD meets Pres. Buhari as he assumes office

Pres. Buhari met with Chairman/MD Exxonmobil Nigeria, Mr. Nolan O’Neal & Dr. Ibe Kachuikwu the newly appointed GMD NNPC today August 4th. Mr. Kachikwu, has assumed duty as the Chief Executive of the oil corporation. A brief handover ceremony was held at the NNPC Towers to mark the assumption of office this evening.

Kachikwu pictured above with the immediate past GMD od NNPC, Joseph Dawha.  

Photos from Kunle Afolayan's son's 5th birthday party...

Kunle Afolayan's son Darimisire turned 5 recently and his parents threw him a poolside birthday party. The birthday boy & his friends also took a trip to Alausa Fire Station, Ikeja for an educative & interactive session. More photos after the cut...

Amber Rose puts a huge wig on her 2 year old son (photos

She's since taken the photo down after people started saying she dressed him like a 'transgender' 

Photos: US Judicial officials meet with Nigerian military authorities

A delegation of the United States Judicial Committee of the Congress has met with the officials of the Federal Ministry of Defence and the Service Chiefs as part of US efforts to enhance cooperation between the two countries in tackling Boko Haram insurgency.

This is as a follow up to President Buhari’s recent visit to United States of America. It will be recalled that based on allegation of human rights abuse leveled against Nigeria by the Human Rights Organization, the United States refused to sell ammunition to Nigerian Military as enshrined in Leahy law prohibiting her from providing military assistance to foreign countries guilty of violation of human rights with impunity.

The meeting was therefore one of the efforts being made by the two countries to resolve the accusation and counter accusation by the Human Rights Organization and Nigeria. Briefing newsmen after a closed door meeting, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Ismail Aliyu stated that having identified gaps created in the relationship between the two countries, deliberations made centred on the issues of insecurity in Nigeria and improvement on human rights. He stated that the visit of Mr President was a great gain to the country, which has rekindled the hope and aspirations of the two countries to resolve the matter.

The visitors were much concerned about the security situation in Nigeria and in the Lake Chad Basin area which informed the basis for the visit. He noted that all identified gaps would be definitely workedon. “We discussed the issues of security and human rights and they are pleased with the discussions”, he concluded.

The leader of the delegation, Darrel Issa reiterated that their visit was to fashion out possible modalities towards assisting Nigeria in her challenge with additional technical support through provision of overhead surveillance and other logistics to fight boko haram and stop oil theft by pirates. He noted that discussions were made in such a way that both parties have confidence that the rules of law have been obeyed.

He pointed out that the process to lift restrictions as prescribed Leahy has begun and the US is looking forward to reactivate a proactive relationship upon which she can provide a much robust support.

Present at the meeting were the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Gabriel Olonisakin, Chief of Army Staff, Major General Yusuf Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, other top military officers and top government functionaries.

-Nigeran Armed Forces