Nigerian man jailed for life in UK for murder

Read the press statement from EFCC

A Nigerian fugitive, Abdul Adewale Kekere-Ekun, who was arrested on February 12, 2015 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, for identity theft-related offences, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the United Kingdom. He was jailed for the murder of 18-year-old Marcus Hall in 2001, following a brawl outside Luton’s Atmosphere Nightclub, where the popular music group, So Solid Crew, had performed.

Though 39-year old Mr. Kekere-Ekun, who goes by several aliases like Adebayo Dalvin James Ekun, Adeba Yo Kekere-Ekun, Adeba Yo Muta Lito Kekere-Ekun, James Dalvin, James Adebayo, had initially pleaded guilty to the murder charge before the Luton Crown Court, he later fled to Nigeria.
He was, however, arrested in Nigeria in February by the EFCC.

During investigation, it was revealed that Mr. Kekere-Ekun, who was arrested for fraud, was on the wanted list of the United Kingdom Police. Consequently, an extradition notice signed by the then Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, was served on him by the EFCC. He was finally extradited to the United Kingdom, where he reportedly admitted to the killing.

Before his conviction Monday, seven of the gang members had been convicted in 2002 and 2003 for their part in Mr. Hall’s murder, but two convictions were later quashed.

Revealing how he was traced, the Bedfordshire Police said he was identified in CCTV footage of the attack, where he was wearing a distinctive checked coat.

Upon discovery of a flyer for the shop found by the Bedfordshire Police during a raid on his home, detectives went to a designer clothes store in London, where it was discovered that the jacket was one of only nine sold in the United Kingdom and the convict was listed as one of the buyers.

After the sentencing, Mr. Hall’s mother, Icelyn Wilson, in a statement issued through the Bedfordshire Police, was quoted to have said, ‘‘My son’s death still hurts as if it had happened yesterday and I will never get over it. You did not just ruin one life, you left a ‘ripple effect’ which has impacted on everyone involved in my son, Marcus’ life.”

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I have declared my assets 4 times - President Buhari

During his visit in Ghana today, President Buhari said he has so far declared his assets four times, for the four different times he has had cause to serve Nigeria in various capacities.

“I recall that in 1975 when late Murtala Mohammed became the Head of State, we were lined up - governors, ministers, members of the Supreme Military Council. Officials of Ministry of Justice were brought and every individual was made to declare his assets. All Heads of States and Government, governors, ministers, permanent secretaries have to declare their assets because it is a constitutional requirement.
I have declared my assets four times. When I was governor in 1975, I declared. After being Minister of Petroleum and as a member of Supreme Military Council, I declared. When I was Head of State and now as a President, I have also declared" he told journalist at his joint press conference with Ghanaian president John Mahama.

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Anti-malaria drive: Mortein mobilizes mothers in Oyo to action

The Mortein train is going round Nigeria with its Anti-Malaria Campaign to empower Nigerians with the right information they need to have so that they can protect themselves from mosquitoes and stay healthy. Through its New Mom Programme, Mortein has reached approximately 5 million new moms in the hospitals since inception.

As part of strategy to scale up the coverage, the Mortein anti-malaria campaign train was at communities and Primary Health Centres in Oyo State recently during which the team comprising educators, nurses and Roll Back Malaria officials educated mothers on cost effective practices to eliminate mosquitoes, which are the causative agents of malaria.

These include maintaining clean environment at all times by clearing water drainages, elimination of stagnant waters and cutting of grasses within their surroundings. Other important steps are sleeping under Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) and use ofsafe insecticides which meet the WHO specification like Mortein. 

Sharing experience on how the malaria prevention enlightenment initiative by Mortein has impacted them, a mother, Mrs. Temitope Adekunle residing in Boluwaji, Ibadan South-East Local Government said, “Prior to this time, many of us did not have much knowledge on how we can prevent malaria. With this campaign by Mortein, we have learnt the benefits of a clean environment, sleeping under treated mosquito nets and very importantly, using insecticide that kills hundred per cent mosquitoes, which is Mortein.”

A new mom and trader, Mrs. Winifred Igbirere, revealed her frustration over the inefficiency of some insecticides that she had tried before until she tried Mortein and experienced the difference. “Mortein is very powerful, it kills mosquitoes and keeps me and my family protected for over a week after we spray it. I have tried other insecticides but they are all not effective. Mortein is the number one for me”, she said.

According to the Marketing Director, RB West Africa, Mr. Oguzhan Silivrili Mortein has been at the forefront of the fight against malaria in Nigeria via a number of initiatives targeted at empowering Nigerians so that together we can defeat malaria. We believe malaria can be eliminated in Nigeria which is the reason Mortein is championing the cause for a malaria-free Nigeria.

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Buhari’s 100 Days: Placing Nigeria On The Path To Recovery

All Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in this title salute President Muhammadu Buhari’s painstaking slow fix , which he said is meant to set a stronger foundation for economic recovery

Three months ago, the course of Nigeria’s future changed for the better. The APC won a historic election. Tired of the broken promises and damaged public institutions wrought by sixteen years of PDP misrule, the people demanded change. By virtue of the election, the people reclaimed the primacy of their sovereign will. They demanded that government should serve them before serving itself. That proclaimed that government for the people was not only possible in this land but that its establishment was overdue. The breath of hope was restored to the body politic. On that day, we all stood more proudly and more eager to walk into the new day that had come.

But change is not made simply by winning an election or ejecting a few bad seeds from office...

Change requires the careful removal of the rotted timber that has made national governance such a rickety structure. It requires the bold articulation yet wise implementation of a vision and supporting policies, programs and projects aimed at making our country better, making our people’s lives better.

Change does not tolerate the high rates of poverty and joblessness that insult our national potential and reduce the lives of too many Nigerians. The change we seek will revive this economy in a way that creates jobs and lifts Nigerians out of poverty that all may enjoy the dignified and secure life promised us.

Change is not weakening our military to the point where it is too demoralized and ill-equipped to protect our people from terrorist violence.Change is energizing that military with new leadership, better war materiel and the firm mandate to rout Boko Haram. Change is establishing peace and security so that the hundreds of thousands of displaced Nigerians may return home in contemplation of rebuilding their lives in ways better than what was before. And change means fighting corruption in all of its manifestations instead of consorting with it. No longer shall the public treasury, meant for the wellbeing of the many, be treated as the private reserve of the few.

Nigeria is now 100 days into President Buhari’s leadership. It is clear that he has begun the change Nigeria needs. He has shown the decisiveness, the incorruptibility, security acumen and progressive vision we voted for. He has brought the leadership we desperately need. I shudder to think where we might be had the prior administration been allowed to govern even 100 days more, let alone another four years.

First, Buhari has turned the table against Boko Haram. He has not hesitated to take the fight to the terrorists, destroying their hideouts, capturing their fighters and equipment while taking the military initiative away from them. They are on their heels and on the run. To get to this better position, he dismissed general officers who had lost heart and were too hesitant to confront Boko Haram, replacing them with new military commanders selected not on regionalism or favoritism but on the strength of their military leadership and fighting spirit. 

The president strengthened our security partnerships with Chad, Niger, Cameroon, and the United States to build a much stronger regional and international coalition to uproot the terrorists. He continues to reach out to other nations to further strengthen that coalition. We are no longer a junior partner in a fight that mostly takes place on our soil. Because of President Buhari, we are at the head of this multilateral effort, driving it forcefully to successful conclusion. We are already seeing improvements in safety across the Northeast as Boko Haram retreats and retreats. Buhari will not relent until there is no more Boko haram left to fight.

Buhari is also tackling corruption. Hehas already shown dozens of corrupt officials the exit, demonstrating that he will not tolerate corruption in his government. He is busily plugging the loopholes in the system to prevent the wholesale thievery so common under the predecessor government.The idea of a single federal government account is one such corrective measure. Moreover, he is studiously tracking where much of the stolen funds went. He is doing this that he may recover these public funds and bring to book those who purloined them.

He will return that money to the people, using the funds to build schools, roads, and hospitals that Nigeria needs.

The President is also taking steps to pull our economy from the dangerous brink where the PDP left it and then to strengthen and diversify the economy that it may provide jobs and prosperity to all who are willing to work to improve their lot. He has fought and already cured much of the indiscipline and subterfuge that plagued the operation of our refineries and power system. Just in the first hundred days, refinery production has increased reasonably, lowering the cost of fuel importation and thus spurring greater economic activity. He also has improved electricity production by holding the power companies accountable.

By approving a package of emergency fiscal and financial relief, he has stopped the slide of numerous states into economic depression and imminent bankruptcy. By enabling the payment of back salaries to state government civil servants, he has saved millions of Nigerians from sinking into the hunger and poverty. Moreover, the funds paid to these people will be used to purchase goods and services thus energizing local economies that were becoming flaccid due to lack of aggregate consumer demand. The former government should have taken this step months ago, even before the election. 

However, it let a bad situation fester into impending calamity. Had that government remained in office, it would have allowed the states to slide into bankruptcy, triggering a financial crisis that would have engulfed the banking system if not the entire economy. In his first 100 days, President Buhari staved the financial paralysis of the states and, as such, may have prevented a sudden and crippling financial crisis. Gone are the days of rebasing falsehood and brazen theft from our treasury.

In coming weeks, he will reveal his budget. The budget will go far toward honoring his campaign promises to boost domestic industries, improve our schools to prepare our children for the jobs of tomorrow, and invest in infrastructure that will make Nigeria a better place to run a farm, build a factory, drive your car, drink the water, construct a home, and create jobs.

We have still a lot of work to do. While reeling, Boko Haram is not completely defeated. Ourstolen girls are not back, and too many from the North East are still unable to return home. With regard to corruption, we must not only recoup stolen money, we must rediscover lost public ethics. We need to establish the mindset that corruption is criminal and evil and do away with the mentality that has treated it as correct public etiquette. While actions have been taken to thwart imminent crisis, much needs to be done to place the economy on solid footing over the longer haul. I look forward with great optimism and enthusiasm to the government coming forward with plans to create jobs, modernize our infrastructure and diversify the economy so that our industrial sector may attain greater prominence.

I salute and accept the deliberate painstaking slow fix of this government which is meant to set a stronger foundation for quick economic recovery. The effort to stem the primitive pilferation of our commonwealth must attain national priority. The Buhari administration is committed to building a new country.

Looking at the fragile vehicle they inherited and at the harsh terrain they have been able to navigate, I could not be prouder of what the President, the Vice President and their team have done thus far. If they continue in this manner, they would have done more than justify the people’s faith in them. They would have placed Nigeria on the path to its better self. We cannot ask any more from them than that.

- Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

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