There was jubilation in Asaba following the release of former Delta State governor, James Ibori from the UK prison. Meanwhile, in Warri, billionaire businessman, Chief Ayri Emami and his friends celebrated the release of Ibori last night.

"It is a thing of joy and am so elated that I am alive to witness this uncompromising release of our leader" he was quoted to have said during the celebration.

Ibori, who was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment in the UK in April 17, 2012, after he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering, was released on Wednesday on order of the court.

More photos below...

Police in Delta state have rescued the Ovie of Agbarha-Warri Kingdom in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Orhifi Orovwagbarha Agbarha-Ide Ememoh II, who was kidnapped by suspected herdsmen yesterday Wednesday December 21st.

The monarch was kidnapped along the Ughelli/Asaba Expressway while on his way to Asaba the state capital for a security summit.

Some Delta state residents are currently celebrating the release of the state's former governor, James Ibori, from prison.

Ibori was convicted by a UK court in 2012 after he pleaded guilty to money laundering, mismanagement of the state funds and stealing over $250 million while he was governor of Delta state from 1999-2007. See more photos after the cut.

The Federal Executive Council yesterday approved a new policy that will see any whistle-blower being rewarded with as much as 5 % of recovered loot. Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who disclosed this to state house correspondents, said the policy which was devised by her ministry, is to encourage anyone with information about corrupt practices to share it with the government.


According to her, the policy is aimed at increasing exposure of financial related crimes, supporting the fight against financial crimes and corruption, improving level of public confidence in public entities, enhancing transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, improving Nigeria’s Open Government Ranking and Ease of Doing Business Indicators as well as recovering public funds that can be deployed to finance Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit.

Adeosun added that vital information that can be sent in for investigation includes mismanagement or misappropriation of public funds and assets (e.g. properties and vehicles), financial malpractice or fraud, collecting/ soliciting bribes; corruption; diversion of revenues, fraudulent and unapproved payments; splitting of contracts, procurement fraud (kickbacks and over-invoicing etc.)

 Responding to a question on whether a whistleblower will be rewarded financially, she said

"It depends. If there is a voluntary return of stolen or concealed public funds or assets on the account of the information provided, the whistleblower may be entitled to anywhere between 2.5% (minimum) and 5.0% (maximum) of the total amount recovered. You must have provided the government with information it does not already have and could not otherwise obtain from any other publicly available source to the Government."

The Indonesian ambassador to Nigeria, Harry Purwanto, revealed on Tuesday that the Indonesian embassy in Nigeria will no longer be involved in visa processing, but only in the collection of visa applications.
Purwanto revealed this new visa policy to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos. Under the new policy, Nigerians seeking visa to Indonesia for any reason will now have to submit their visa applications to the Indonasian embassy in Nigeria from where it will be forwarded to Indonesia for processing.
This, he revealed, will result to a longer waiting period and as such he advised Nigerians to begin their applications at least two weeks in advance.

“Under the new policy, we as an Embassy in Nigeria have been withdrawn from processing visas. All we are now required to do is to collect visa applications and send them to Indonesia for processing. We now have to be taking authority from Jakarta. We, therefore, want to tell Nigerians seeking visas to Indonesia to now begin their applications at least two weeks in advance, to enable us send their applications on time to Jakarta,’’ Purwanto said.

Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai's entourage was attacked by angry protesters in Kafanchan, Jema’a local government area yesterday December 20th.

The Governor and his entourage were pelted with stones and some of the vehicles broken after addressing some demonstrators immediately after he chaired Kaduna State Security Council meeting in the area.


The official residence of the local government chairman, Dr.Bege Katuka was also burnt by the protesters.

The governor’s spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, in an official statement released today, quoted the governor as saying

“In the name of God, I am begging you. No one should take the law into his or her hand over what happened in Kafanchan. Although it is unfortunate, but we must rise above induced prejudice and hatred. We must defeat hate with patience, love and dedication to duty and not eye for an eye. It is also a burden of leadership and we will, by the special grace of God, overcome these forces of darkness who are dividing our citizens using religion, ethnicity and politics. I commend the high sense of professionalism exhibited by security personnel. I listened to three of the women who led the protesters as they asked me questions. I answered them and even invited them to a larger meeting, but they went on rampage and burnt the residence of the local government chairman. The government of Kaduna State and the Security Council sympathize with the chairman of Jema’a local government, Dr.Bege Katuka and his family over the unfortunate incident that led to the burning of their home. Our prayers and support go with them.”

The governor will update the people of the state on the steps being taken to improve security in the state in a state-wide live radio interview today Wednesday night, from 8pm to 10 pm.

More photos below...

President Buhari has signed eight bills into law. A statement released by his spokesperson on National Assembly matters, Ita Enang, says some of the bills are the National Judicial Institute Amendment Act 2016, Advertising Practitioners Registration Amendment Act 2016, Utilities Charges Commission Amendment Act 2016 and Quality Surveyors Registration Amendment Act 2016.


Others include Small and Medium Scale Industries Development Agency Amendment Act 2016, Treaty to Establish African Economic Community Relating to Pan African Parliament (Accession and Jurisdiction) Amendment Act 2016, University of Abuja Amendment Act 2016 and Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers Amendment Act 2016.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has declared Monday December 26th, Tuesday December 27th, and Monday  January 2nd 2017 as Public Holidays to mark the Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year Celebrations respectively. 

The announcement is contained in a statement released by the Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau, yesterday.

Former Delta state governor, James Ibori, has reportedly been released from UK prison. According to Vanguard, the former governor's media aide, Tony Elumenor confirmed his release from prison.

Ibori reportedly completed his 13 years jail term yesterday. On February 27th 2012, Ibori pleaded guilty to 10 counts of money laundering, fraud, conspiracy to defraud, and other offenses in a London court. He also pleaded guilty to stealing over $250 million public funds while he was governor from 1999-2007. There have been rumors that he will be coming back to Nigeria within this month.

The Anambra State Police Command on Tuesday, December 20th, arrested  two suspects in connection with car snatching and dealing business.
The suspects identified as were one Chukwuebuka Nwachukwu, 25 from Amaodo Awkunanaw in Nkanu West Council Area of Enugu State who allegedly snatched the car and 26-year-old Ndife Madukafrom Umuobi, Awkuzu in Oyi Council Area alleged to be the prospective buyer of the stolen vehicle.
The car,  an Ash Coloured Lexus Jeep RX300 with registration number- Enu-824-JW, was said to have been snatched at gunpoint in Enugu late Sunday evening but the snatcher was intercepted early yesterday by Men of the State's 29 Police Mobile Force on stop and search operations around MOPOL 29 base junction by Old Road Agu Awka.
Addressing newsmen while parading the suspects, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Nkiru Nwode explained that when accosted, the snatcher had claimed to be the owner of the vehicle but after thorough searching, some documents and an empty cartridge shell were found in the vehicle.
The PPRO who described stop and search as a viable option in crime fighting, said that what the Command is working on is to ensure that Men of the Force do not abuse the process by extorting the public.
She appealed to the public to always be vigilant to identify and report suspicious activities in their localities as well as to be willing to volunteer useful information that will help the Security operatives do their job well, assuring them that the Command is committed to ensuring that the state remains the safest in the country especially during the yuletide celebrations.
The husband to the victim, Mr Charles Nwabueze from Amaechi Uwani in Enugu State expressed shock and disbelief that one of the suspects who snatched the car lives along the same street with his family in Enugu, commending the State Police for its vigilance and dedication to duty.
The suspected car snatcher, Mr Nwachukwu who denied knowing that the car was stolen, said he was just told by one Mr Abada in Enugu to deliver the vehicle to the receiver and collect the sum of forty thousand naira.
On his part, the receiver, Mr Ndife claimed to have paid the sum of four hundred thousand naira to a car dealer in Enugu for a fairly used car but the man has refused to bring him the vehicle until yesterday when he called him to come with the remaining balance of seven hundred thousand naira to pick his car. According to him, on getting to Unizik junction for the transaction, he was apprehended by the police.


Source: Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS)

Arsenal is fourth in the English Premiere League table. After their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City yesterday, a fan asked EFCC to pick up their coach, Arsene Wenger and they gave the hilarious reply above.

Atleast 5,000 ghost workers have been uncovered on the  Bayelsa State’s payroll, the Bayelsa State Government disclosed on Saturday,

Dr. David Ala-Peter, the Chief Accountant in the Office of the Special Adviser on Treasury, Accounts and Revenue revealed this.

He said the ghost workers were identified in the recent workers’ verification where more than 50,000 workers took part.

Ala-Peter said the exercise was aimed at identifying fake names to reduce the state’s wage bill and they achieved their aims.

A dog was found by passersby, eating a new born baby that had been abandoned alive by its mother at a refuse dump at the Federal Polytechnic Student Village, Gwallameji, Bauchi State yesterday. An eye witness, who gave an account of the incident said:

“I was coming back from church when I saw many people behind a house away from ours. I became curious and went to see what was happening there.“What I saw there was disgusting and annoying. It was someone, who dumped a new born baby at a refuse dump and a dog was found eating it (the baby).

“From the look of things and from what I heard people say, the baby was abandoned alive but was killed by the dog.

“How can someone do this to an innocent child? How can a human life be treated with such levity? It’s so bad and inhumane.”

He said some of the people at the scene dug a shallow grave and buried the remains of the baby just beside the refuse site, but he didn't say what happened to the dog.

The traditional Chief of Gwallameji, Hassan Ibrahim, was contacted by Vanguard and he confirmed the incident.
He said:

“I got a call from someone informing me of the incident but I told the person that I was not around. When I called the number back, I was told that Wakilin Sarkin Gwallameji (representative of the chief of Gwallameji), Sanusi Mohammed, was already there. “Since he was there, I continued with what I was doing knowing that he would handle everything well. As I speak with you now, I haven’t met him yet for information on the incident.”

Horrible incidents like this case is reportedly becoming a norm. Less than 4 months ago, a dead body of a new born baby was found dumped in a polythene bag at a refuse dump in the same area.

This is so sad.


Source: Vanguard

The award wining footballer‎ is pictured above with his wife and three children.

A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, yesterday dismissed a fundamental rights enforcement application by Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, challenging the freezing of his accounts and threats of arrest by the EFCC.

Justice E. A Obile upheld the preliminary objection by the EFCC and struck out the matter on the grounds that it cannot sit on appeal over an order made by a Lagos State High Court, and cannot also restrain the EFCC from inviting or prosecuting the applicants.

EFCC froze the accounts of two companies, Mieka Divers Limited and Global West Vessels Limited owned by Tompolo over allegations that the accounts were used for illegal transactions with NIMASA. Tompolo who is currently on the run, has been declared wanted by the anti-graft agency.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has described as false the claim by the senator representing Ogun-East senatorial district, Buruji Kashamu, that a court had perpetually restrained the Federal Government from extraditing him to the United States of America to face drugs-related charges.

This was contained in a counter-affidavit filed by the NDLEA before a Federal High Court in Abuja to oppose the contempt proceedings initiated by Kashamu against the agency and other respondents.

Kashamu had filed the contempt suit before Justice Gabriel Kolawole against the Chairman of NDLEA, the NDLEA itself and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.


He anchored the contempt suit on an allegation that the three respondents were taking steps to extradite him to the USA in disobedience to various court orders.

Justice Kolawole had last year struck out the extradition proceedings initiated by the then Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, against Kashamu.

The decision by Justice Kolawole was based on the previous rulings of the Lagos Divisions of the Federal High Court which had ruled against the planned extradition.

But the NDLEA, in a counter-affidavit deposed to by one of its litigation officers, Mr. Rifkatu Barde, said the court orders referred to by the senator did not prevent the respondents from taking lawful steps to extradite him.

The counter-affidavit read in part, “The respondents cannot be restrained perpetually from arresting the applicant. What the respondents are hereby restrained from doing, that is, assuming they can even act on any application for his extradition – having regard to the substantive judgment, is unlawful arrest or abduction without a warrant duly issued in line with the Extradition Act as amended.

“The decision of the court in the case of Kashamu did not shut the door to any lawful steps that may be subsequently taken to extradite him pursuant to the Extradition Act Cap. E, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”

The agency stated that Kashamu had been using false text messages to mislead the court and that the call log which he claimed to have obtained from a service provider did not support his claim about the alleged attempt to forcefully abduct him and ferry him to the USA to face drug charges.

The NDLEA, however, stated that the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court had only ruled in favour of Kashamu in 2010 to the effect that any plan to extradite him by the Attorney General of the Federation and the NDLEA to the USA must be in compliance with the Extradition Act, 2004.

The agency explained that it was not a respondent to a suit with No. FHC/ABJ/CS/479/2015 which Kashamu alleged was disobeyed.

The counter-affidavit also read, “That Hon. Justice E. O. Abang, in his judgment in suit No. FHC//L/CS/49/2010, clearly stated that the delicate aspect of this case which the court must be extremely be careful with is that the allegations contained in the petitions against the applicant border on allegations of commission of criminal offences by the applicant.

“That police or any security agency cannot be restrained from discharging their statutory duties, a court of law cannot restrain the police or security agencies from discharging their statutory functions.”

The agency also stated that Kashamu “is in the habit of indulging in deliberate distortion of facts to mislead the courts and overreach the course of justice by distorting facts and tendering enrolled orders as opposed to full judgment of courts.”

Kashamu was represented by his lawyer, Mr. Raphael Oluyede, when the matter came up before Justice Kolawole on Thursday.

The NDLEA, which was represented by Mr. Mike Kassa, notified the court of its counter-affidavit.

The AGF’s lawyer, Mr. Agbaji Ochai, also said he had filed a similar court process.

The judge then fixed February 16, 2017 for hearing in the case.

Source

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, today visited the Ado Ekiti branch of Zenith Bank where he withdrew some money from his accounts.

This followed the Federal High Court judgment which ordered the bank to immediately unfreeze the governor’s accounts by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti has ordered that Governor Ayodele Fayose’s accounts in Zenith Bank be defrozen with immediate effect.


Recall that the Governor’s personal accounts were frozen by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. in June, this year.

The EFCC has faulted the order by a Federal High Court asking it to defreeze the bank accounts.

The remains of Ukeme Monday Asuquo, a first class graduate of Petroleum Engineering from the University of Uyo, was laid to rest today in his hometown, Ikot Udo Oto village in Etinan LGA Akwa Ibom state on Thursday, December 15th...


The late Comrade Asuquo died at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Zamfara State on December 1st, after reportedly suffering from Diarrhea. He was survived by his mother, brothers and sisters.

The funeral service was attended by the Member Representing Etinan State Constituency, Hon. Barr. Aniefiok Dennis, Chairman, Transition Committee of Etinan Local Government Area, Mr. Cletus Ekpo, NYSC members in Etinan and state representatives, engineering students University of Uyo, family members, relations, friends and well wishers and indigenes of Etinan Local Government Area.

 More photos below...