Unbelievable! Jonathan’s Government Blew N2.2b On Prayers

Besides the huge amount sunk into phoney arms deals, as much as N2.2billion was spent on prayers against the Boko Haram sect by the Goodluck Jonathan government.

Jonathan’s administration blew the cash on special prayers in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

The cash was disbursed through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), following a proposal by a former Executive Director of the NNPC, Aminu Baba-Kusa.

Baba-Kusa, in his statement of witness filed in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is facing trial with a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) and three others.

The others are Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited (owned by Baba-Kusa) and a former Director of Finance in ONSA, Shuaibu Salisu.

In the statement, Baba-Kusa said the N2.2billion was spent on prayers to hasten the defeat of Boko Haram.

The cash was released in two tranches of N1,450,000,000 and N750,000,000.

Baba-Kusa confessed to EFCC investigators that the contract proposal was verbal. He has promised to refund the N2.2billion by disposing of his assets.

Baba-Kusa said: “I approached the former NSA and discussed Boko Haram problems and I suggested there is need for prayers and he considered and accepted in 2013 when he first came to office.

“I personally sponsored many people locally and some few to Saudi Arabia. Some monies were later paid into our companies, which we paid to some of the mallams.

“I then arranged to recover my personal expense which I put into our own businesses.

“We have been spending a lot from our businesses and personal accounts. Money paid through UBA, First Bank and ECOBANK. For Acacia Holdings Limited(A/C 1017330319-UBA); ECOBANK(0122012650); and First Bank(Reliance Referral Hospitals Limited A/C 2022394057). The total amount is N2,200,000,000 from October 2014 to April 2015.”

He told detectives that he is not an expert, “but I used some of the mallams to organise in Abuja, Zaria, Kano, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Kaduna and Saudi Arabia covering 2013 to 2015.”

He added: “I give them funds as required from time to time, ranging from N500,000 to N30million, depending on their needs, traveling, sadaqat and others for local expenses and travels to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and Hajj.

“I reminded the NSA many times before payments were made. We grew up together with the former NSA with common friends in ABU.

“Most of the payments in cash were meant to give out cash to people that have been organising prayers. Some transfers to Acacia to other banks were for logistics and also to some mallams in cash.”

The suspect also confirmed that the prayer contract was not documented.

He added: “The proposal made to the former NSA was not documented by him or myself. The verbal proposal to him was for prayers to overcome Boko Haram within the shortest possible time.

“The engagement for prayers by organising some people to be praying was not formally written down. There was no amount of money agreed on. I said to him, I will start organising, which he agreed and said he will see what he would give at a later time."

Baba-Kusa said he had an estimate of over N700million spent “from my own resources before I started to ask for money from him”. Some of these funds came from disposal of some of my land in Abuja. One in Maitama, one in Gudu and one in Guzape. The Maitama was a little over N200million; Guzape (N80m), Gudu(N18m), he told the EFCC.

But, according to him, he kept no records of the money he gave to individual Mallams organising various groups. I requested for no acknowledgement from them when I gave money to them.”

He assured the EFCC that he would refund the said cash if he is able to dispose of his landed properties.

He said: “I am making efforts to dispose of my properties in Abuja which would be over the total amount of N2.2billion. If the sales go through and the amount from the sales is made in full, I will make full payment.”

- Chai!!! prayer is now a big business oh!

Because of Piss? Mechanic kills Friend for Urinating near shop

The park of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners in the Berger, Mile 2 area of Lagos was in turmoil on Wednesday after a mechanic, identified as Oshare, stabbed his friend to death and injured others.

Trouble started in the park around 11am on Tuesday between Oshare and the friend, identified as Rasta, after he (Rasta) allegedly urinated beside a stationary truck.

Oshare challenged the deceased for messing up the spot, said to be a few steps from his shop. As Rasta tried to calm him, he reportedly slapped him, which led to a scuffle.

According to Punch, the mechanic, who was livid with anger, grabbed two bottles and stabbed the friend in the neck. He was also said to have injured some people who attempted to caution him.

Rasta reportedly bled from his injuries and he was rushed to a hospital for treatment. He, however, died before he could get help. Many shops in the park have remained closed out of fear.

A trader, Mrs. Ufom Benedict, said she tried to stop Oshare when he rushed to her shop, looking for knife.

The Chairman of the park, Mr. Martins Animashaun, said allowing traders into the park also contributed to the incident. He added that miscreants had turned the park into a hideout.

He said, “There was problem between two friends. Along the line, one died and the other one was rushed to the hospital. They are not our members. I was in the office yesterday (Tuesday) when I saw people running around and I called the police. They are still investigating the matter.

“Here is a state government-owned park and it is porous. If it is secured, we can manage people inside it. When we leave in the evening, some miscreants come here to sleep. This place is solely earmarked for a park, but along the line, the local government allowed traders into the park and turned it into a market. The more people come in, the more the problem we have. We want this park to be sanitised.”

Police say Oshare is unconscious and at a hospital where he is under arrest.

Presidential Candidate, Remi Sonaiya, Enters Bike in Lagos to Escape Fuel Scarcity

I just don't understand why fuel scarcity is so bad in Lagos when other states still have fuel since Lagos is the main dump for fuel. Madam Remi, who's the presidential candidate for KOWA party in the 2015 election, said she had to even trek to get to her destination. Thank goodness she wasn't kidnapped!

British High Commissioner to Nigeria meets with Bola Tinubu, Mike Adenuga & Aliko Dangote (photos)

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright met with the national leader of the All Progressives Congress(APC) Chief Bola Tinubu, Globacom Chairman, Chief Mike Adenuga and Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote. Mr. Arkwright who shared the photos on his official twitter account said he had interesting discussions with the men on UK-Nigeria affairs and business opportunities. See more photos after the cut...

Skye Bank Debunks EFCC Investigation Report – Official

The management of Skye Bank has debunked spurious reports that its CEO, Mr. Timothy Oguntayo has been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under any guise whatsoever. Executive Director of the bank, Mrs. Abimbola Izu, in an emailed statement to The Herald denied the report describing it as surprising. Her email reads:

“We were surprised about the report on Sahara Reporters because neither the GMD nor the Chief Compliance Officer had seen any such invitation at the time of the report. More importantly, the balances in the said PIC account were moved to the CBN in compliance with the TSA on 2nd of October 2015 and the account closed. Skye Bank thus does not maintain any account for PIC as at today. “The Bank will be happy to provide these facts and clarifications to the EFCC or any investigating agency if called upon to do so,” she added.

Yoruba Kings Fight? Alake who Classified Top Obas is A Very Junior King – Awujale Insists

The Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, has berated the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, for categorising himself among the five top monarchs in Yorubaland.

Reacting to a categorisation of monarchs by the Alake recently when the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, visited him (Alake) some weeks back, Oba Awujale said the Egba monarch was peddling falsehood and turning history upon its head.

The words of the Awujale: “The Alake, while receiving the Ooni in his palace, said Yoruba Obas (the ‘Big Five’ so to say) had been categorised with the Ooni in the first position followed by the Alaafin, the Oba of Benin, with the Alake coming fourth and the Awujale occupying the fifth spot in that order. He also went further to quote wrongly from a 1903 Gazette to support all the fallacies in his statement.”

He said when he learnt about the comment, he contacted Alake who, he added, vehemently denied it.

He added, “In a recent discussion between the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, and me, we also touched on the same issue and the Oba of Lagos told me that he too had asked Alake the same question, which he had again denied vehemently.

“Regrettably, however, when the said statement few days later was continuously credited to the Alake on the pages of newspapers, I expected him to deny it or issue a rebuttal, but he did not do so.

"Therefore, I consider it necessary to debunk the falsehood and misrepresentation of facts from the Ake Palace so as to put the records straight.”

The Awujale argued that the 1903 Gazette referred to by the Alake was just a newspaper publication.

“The first question to Alake is: who categorised the Yoruba Obas and when? I challenge him to produce the document of the said categorisation. It is a known fact that Alake was a junior traditional ruler under the Alaafin at Orile Egba before he fled to Ibadan for refuge as a result of the war then ravaging the Yorubaland.

“Following the defeat of Owu by the Ijebu Army in 1826, the Owus became refugees all over Yorubaland. Some of the Ijebu troops that fought the war proceeded to Ibadan, where they met the Alake and sacked him; consequently forcing him to seek refuge at Ake in Abeokuta in 1830, where, of course, he met the Osile, Olowu and Agura already settled at Oke-Ona, Owu and Gbagura sections of Abeokuta township respectively.

Even then, the Olubara of Oyo origin had always argued that all the aforementioned four rulers met him in Abeokuta and therefore claimed to be their landlord.

“To even refer to the Alake as ‘the Alake of Abeokuta’, not to talk of Egbaland, is a misnomer, as his control since his arrival at Ake in 1830 and till today is restricted to the Ake section of Abeokuta. The official Government Gazette testifies to this fact.

“In short, the Alake, from history and all available records, is a very junior traditional ruler in Yorubaland. His peers in Ijebuland are the Dagburewe of Idowa; Ajalorun of Ijebu-Ife; Akija of Ikija-Ijebu; Olowu of Owu-Ijebu; Oloko of Ijebu-Imushin; Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo and Ebumawe of Ago Iwoye.”

- Expect another gazetted information for the Alake and his team soon. Oh this will be very interesting!

New photos of Musa Gowon, son of former head of state, Yakubu Gowon

Musa Gowon is the 48 year old son of former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon. The former head of state refused to accept Musa as his son for 48 years until two days ago after a DNA test carried out confirmed he was indeed Musa's biological father. Musa is a product of Gowon's affair with late Mrs Edith Ike-Okongwu. See more photos after the cut...

 

Ben Murray-Bruce wants your comment about this statement made by Buhari during GEJ's administration

Well..

Beyonce and Jay Z stun at Blue Ivy's school Gala

Jay Z and his wife Beyonce were present at their daughter, Blue Ivy's school gala. More photos after the cut. ..

50 Cent says he's done with IG as he rants about his court case

50 Cent who's been going to court for his bankruptcy case may be in hotter trouble for revealing to the court that the money he posts on IG were fake and the media revealed that posing with counterfeit money was a crime if they weren't destroyed. He took to his IG to react...

The system is so messed up, the law applies differently to people based on the personal perception of them. It's amazing how bad it is it's sad.

When you make money you become a target 🎯. Not only by people who feel there competitors, but by system it self. The lawyers take someone's case to go after your hard earned money pro bono. 

When a judge reads a prepared statement to start proceedings to state they treat everyone the same in court. You should be concerned, I already new I would be treated differently. They know the difference between chapter 11 and chapter 7 they just never saw anyone from HipHop culture use it. 

I have millions of dollar in my company's, the court knows this. I was accused of committing fraud with nothing but a IG photo. I can careless what these people think of me but it's not right. Now someone from secret service is asking if prop money was counter fitted. How the fuck would I know that shit head? Smh 

I'm done with IG after tonight, someone else will operate it for me.