EFCC Arrests 9 ‘Yahoo Boys’ In Edo, Seizes Cars, Others

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Benin Zonal Office have arrested nine suspected internet fraudsters at their various hideouts in Benin City, Edo State.

They were arrested sequel to intelligence gathering, which alleged that they were involved in the fraudulent internet activity known as ‘cat-fishing’.

The suspects who are between the ages of 20 and 35 are: Amafin Collins, Edafitite Abel, Usianene Elizojie, Ojiefor Marvelus, Uduehi Osumor, Geigi Emmanuel Ose, Osaro Osakpolor, Francis Omoiegbe and Onuoba Prince Nonso.

Items recovered from them at the point of arrest include luxury cars, laptop computers, mobile phones, flash drives and internet modems.

They have made useful statements and will soon be charged to court, according to a statement on Wednesday by the EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade.

Meanwhile, head of the Benin Zonal Office, Muhtar Bello has alerted members of the public of the activities of fraudsters who engage in using other people’s phone numbers to generate social media account authentication codes in an attempt to defraud unsuspecting victims.

He, therefore, warned that members of the public should at all time, pay attention to the whereabouts of their phones or be circumspect who they give their phones to make calls.

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BREAKING!!! Buhari’s ministerial Nominee, Amaechi Causes Commotion In Senate

Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Wednesday caused confusion on the floor of the Senate during the ministerial screening.

After his introduction, there was bickering among the Senators on whether the former Minister should be allowed to take a bow and leave or entertain questions from the lawmakers.

While some of the lawmakers objected to the motion of him taking a bow, some others saw it as a perfect decision by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan on the ground that he (Amaechi) was a former lawmaker.

Addressing the House, Lawan said,

“I think the gesture should be extended to all lawmakers from the State House of Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“We are not doing this for him, we are not doing him a favour. We had even discussed this before he came in. He had served as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly for eight years. And I think he should take a bow.”

In the same vein, the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe said Amaechi should take a bow on the ground that he “was a Speaker of the House of Assembly for eight years under the Peoples Democratic Party.

“He was a Governor for eight years on the platform of the PDP and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum on the PDP platform. The PDP DNA runs in him.”

After addressing the house again, the Senate President asked Amaechi to take a bow amid objection from some lawmakers.

Sambisa Forest Is A Good Place To Set Up RUGA – Governor Obaseki (DO YOU AGREE?)

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Tuesday stated clearly that the state has no land to give the federal government for its proposed Ruga Settlement for herders.

The governor made this known in a lecture titled: ‘The Challenges of Pastoralism and International Migration for Sustainable Peace and Development in Nigeria: Edo State Experience,” which he delivered to participants at an Executive Intelligence Management (EIM) Course 12 in Abuja.

Obaseki pointed out that the federal government could create a grazing reserve in Sambisa forest for herders.

“The Sambisa Grazing Reserve (4800 ha) is an ideal and symbolic place to take-off by establishing a ranch run by the military. It would significantly improve the security situation in the zone and encourage cooperation between pastoralists and the military.

“In the North-west, the military should also be encouraged to create ranches in the Gidan Jaja Grazing Reserve (565,000 ha) for the same purpose of improving security and cooperation with pastoralists (NWGPG, 2018),” he stated.

“For us, because it is business like any other private business, the state should not really have much to do except we create an enabling environment for those people we want to invest in livestock business. So, the issue of giving state land for livestock, it won’t happen in Edo State,” Obaseki added.

“Individuals who have land and they want to go into livestock business, like we are supporting people who are doing cassava and others, we as the government will support them,” he said.

As for some herders perpetrating evil in their host communities, Obaseki said there are those who were more into crime than the business of cattle rearing.

“In Edo State, we have found so-called herdsmen with maps in the forests; they clearly cannot be herdsmen who are dependent on their livelihood from their animal assets; that cannot be.

“I think it is important in the context of this discourse to make that distinction between conflict as a result of economic activities, separate from the deliberate conflict that is related to other issues like insurgency and terrorism.

“You have issue of pastoralists or herdsmen who have come to parts of the South, Edo State, over the years using grazing routes, they have always interacted with the communities; they have always had economic arrangements with those communities and because of the socio-political structures when they come into the communities, the first thing they do is to go and look for the chief or the leader in the community, announce their presence and go into economic arrangement.

“Unfortunately, because of the breakdown of that socio structure within the herdsmen arrangement, we found out that some of the young men who they give the cattle; coming into the communities without respecting this arrangement that has been in place, they cause conflicts within those communities, they have always had conflict resolution mechanisms.”

Termites Ate My School Certificate, New Installed CJN Tanko, Says

An affidavit which Tanko Muhammad, the new Chief Justice of Nigeria submitted to the Senate last week ahead of his confirmation as the head of the Supreme Court, revealed claims of termites destroying his primary school certificate.

He alleged that his documents were destroyed beyond recovery, following a termite invasion at his Bauchi State home in 1998. “No portion of the certificate was salvaged,” Mr Muhammad said.

It was further learnt that the new Supreme court head swore the affidavit on February 13, 2002, while he was a judge at the Jos Division of the Court of Appeal and before he became a Supreme Court judge in 2007.

Justice Tanko Mohammed was sworn-in today as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Buhari, following a senate confirmation.

Bobrisky Allegedly Arrested Over N665,000 Debt

Controversial socialite, Okuneye Idris, popularly known as Bobrisjky was allegedly arrested by the police on Monday over the sum of N665,000 he allegedly owed to a boutique.

According to an eyewitness, the arrest was due to the fact that he breached an endorsement agreement between the two parties.

He was, however, later granted bail after he reportedly signed an undertaking to pay N300,000 and pay the balance later on.

Artisan Flogged Badly For Calling Out Abak LGA Chairman Owing Him N75k)

Imoh Williams, Chairman of Abak Local Government in Akwa Ibom State has been accused of assaulting an artisan for calling him out on Facebook over N75k he is allegedly being owed.

The local goverment chairman’s P.A, Godswill Alele, allegedly invited the artisan identified as Godwin Abraham to Abak Council with promises of getting his money and another job, after being owed for a previous job of decorating event halls.

However after he got to the council building, he was allegedly beaten, left with several injuries and also not paid.

In the video shared online, the artisan was spotted being flogged with a belt.

Abia Police Accused Of Releasing Man Who Reportedly Defiled His 1-Month-Old Daughter

The police in Abia state have been accused of releasing one Nnamdi Destiny who allegedly defiled his one month old daughter in Umuahia.

Activist, Gwamnishu Harrison Emefiena, who made the accusation online, said the incident happened two weeks ago.

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How Kwara Governor, Abdul-Razaq Reacted To Saraki, Lai Mohammed’s Ministerial Nomination

Governor Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Razaq of Kwara State on Tuesday congratulated Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Sen. Gbemisola Saraki, for their nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari as prospective ministers.

NAIJALOADED reported on Tuesday that Mohammed and Saraki were included in the list of ministerial nominees sent to the Senate for screening and confirmation by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The governor, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye, said it is a great honour to have two ministerial nominees from the state.

Abdul-Razaq congratulated both Mohammed and Saraki for the honour done to them by their nomination.

He said it is a great honour to have two ministerial slots ceded to the state by the president.

“It is an affirmation of the special place the state holds in the heart of President Muhammadu Buhari,”

Abdul-Razaq added.

He, however, urged the National Assembly, especially senators from the state, to offer their full backing for the smooth screening of the nominees in the overall interest of the country.

EFCC Storms Rochas Okorocha Foundation College In Owerri (Photos)

Pandemonium as officials of the Economic And Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) stormed the Imo State capital and sealed a facility belonging to the ex governor of the state.

The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Enugu zonal Office on Tuesday barred about 1,500 students of the Rochas Foundation in Owerri, the Imo State capital, from gaining access to the school.

It was gathered that the students, who are catered for academically and welfare-wise, were harassed as they tried gaining entry to the facility.

EFCC officials assisted by state officials forcefully gained entry into the premises and molested those on ground in the facility.

“Several students sustained varied degrees of injuries and are now currently receiving treatment. A girl was kicked in the stomach”, a staff said.

The situation escalated as staff of the Foundation who attempted to help the girl were also said to have been beaten.

It took the intervention of the principal before the situation was taken under control..

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US Imposes Visa Restrictions On Nigerian Politicians

The United States Government Tuesday said it has imposed visa restrictions on some Nigerian politicians, which it said undermined Nigerian democracy.

It, however, did not name who the politicians were, their parties and specific offences.

“The Secretary of State is imposing visa restrictions on Nigerians believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Nigeria,”

The US State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement on Tuesday.

“These individuals have operated with impunity at the expense of the Nigerian people and undermined democratic principles and human rights.”

Nigeria’s last general elections were one of the bloodiest Africa has seen in 2019 and was marred by voter apathy. The election handed President Muhammadu Buhari another four-year term in office.

His opponent and former ally Atiku Abubakar said the president and his ruling All Progressives Congress rigged the election in their favour.

Atiku claimed he won the election based on the record his camp said it retrieved from Nigeria’s electoral body’s server.

But the much-maligned Independent National Electoral Commission disputed the claims.

The head of Nigeria office for the Open Society Initiative for West Africa Udo Jude Ilo said the presidential election was many steps backward for Africa’s most populous country.

“The outcome of the process was not merely a travesty for Nigeria; it was a warning sign to advocates of democracy and open society everywhere,”

Ilo said in a post on Open Society’s website in March.

A report by SBM Intelligence and supported by UK Aid and Open Society Initiative for West Africa put election-related deaths in the country at 626 from 161 incidents. The fatalities were recorded between November 16, 2018, and the election days in February and March.

It said only 15% of the incidents and 20% of fatalities were recorded on the election days.

“Thuggery, influenced by politicians and political parties, protest, election fraud, violence in battleground areas and vote-buying impacted on the outcome of the elections,”

The reported said.

“Same can be said for terrorism, especially in the north-eastern states of Yobe and Borno, and the activities of security agencies in some contentious states.”

The United States insisted the visa restrictions were imposed on the unnamed politicians for the same reasons both Open Society’s Ilo and SBM highlighted at different times.

“This decision reflects the Department of State’s commitment to working with the Nigerian government to realize its expressed commitment to end corruption and strengthen democracy, accountability, and respect for human rights,”

You Will End Up Distracting Dapo Abiodun With Plans To Rubbish Amosun – Says Ex-Commissioner

Commissioner for Housing in Ogun State, Segun Abiodun, has alleged that Governor Dapo Abiodun is distracted by his attempt to vilify the administration of his predecessor, Ibikunle Amosun.

He said after almost two months in office, the governor, rather than embark on programmes that would benefit the people, had taken to falsehood to rubbish all the efforts of Amosun as governor between 2011 and 2019.

In a statement yesterday, he urged the governor to start working for Ogun people, rather than chase shadows and trying to find fault in every project of the past administration.

The ex-commissioner was reacting to a statement by the governor alleging architectural and structural defects in the new Ogun State Judiciary Complex, Abeokuta.He said the complex was conceived to be a world-class facility that complied with all accessibility and safety standards to provide the state judiciary with a befitting environment for the dispensation of justice.

“The beauty and utility of the complex was acknowledged by no less a personality than President Muhammadu Buhari who, at the commissioning, commended the Amosun administration for conceiving such a laudable project. Buhari wondered aloud how the administration was able to fund such a project.

“The complex has also been widely acknowledged as one of the best judiciary complexes in the country by various stakeholders. The allegation of architectural and structural defects was to create the impression that both the design and construction were incompetently executed. This is totally baseless,”

He said.

The comments of Governor Abiodun so far on projects inherited from the Amosun administration have indeed confirmed fears that many of them would be starved of funds to frustrate their completion, so as to label them abandoned projects of the past administration.

“Thankfully, the Amosun-led administration foresaw this and ensured that on-going projects were either fully paid for or that advance payments of between 80 to 90 per cent were made. But for this pro- activeness, all the projects would have been truncated.”

Shi’ites Bury Dead Members, Vow To Continue Protest Today (Photo)

Aggrieved members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria aka Shi’ites, have vowed to continue their protest today Wednesday July 24th despite the bloody clash they had with men of the Nigerian police in Abuja on Monday and Tuesday July 22nd and 23rd respectively.

The members said this at the funeral ceremony of their dead members in Suleja, Niger State.

A statement by Abdullahi Muhammad Musa of the Academic Forum of the Islamic Movement, reads

“Police carnage against followers of Sheikh Zakzaky continues senselessly.

Yesterday, at Federal Secretariat, the bureaucratic seat of the Nigerian government, police gunned down close to forty protesters, wounded scores and arrested very many.

Senseless killing as this can never put off a conceptual cause as the Islamic movement is, and the struggle continues.

“The rites of funeral of the Killed took place today at Suleja. Enough, hundreds of people attended the funeral prayer, including members of their immediate families, friends and other people from around the neighbourhood and far afield; and colourful wreaths were laid on their coffins.

“Even though heavily armed forces laid siege of brothers and sisters at Banex Plaza today, teargassing and shooting live rounds of ammunition, free EL-Zakzaky protests will continue nonstop unless our leader regain his freedom to go and tend for his seriously deteriorating health condition.

“Trigger-happy security personnel should know that senseless killing can never put us off the streets of Abuja, it only adds more power to our elbow; no amount of cruelty and inhumanity will deter us. Our leader should just be released. Tomorrow is another day for us, and protests continue.” 

Oyo Assembly Approves N10B Loan For Makinde

Oyo State House of Assembly has approved the request of the executive arm to obtain N10 billion loan to improve infrastructure in the state.

The lawmakers approved the loan, which will be obtained from First Bank of Nigeria (FBN), United Bank Africa (UBA) and Unity Bank, during plenary yesterday.

Speaking on the urgent need for swift approval of the request, the speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, noted that the fund would enable the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration to hit the ground running.

According to him, the state’s financials demand external source of fund to build good roads and other facilities for the people.He said,

“We cannot keep complaining about the financial mess in which we have found ourselves, because governance is a continuum. We just have to take responsibility and move on.”

Channels TV Reporter Shot During Shiites Protest In Abuja Is Dead

Channels TV has been thrown into mourning after the sad event of the protest in Abuja today left a corps member working as a reporter for the station dead.

A Channels TV reporter, Precious Owolabi, who was hit by a stray bullet on Monday in Abuja during a violent clash between the members of Shiite and police has been confirmed dead by the station.

The 23-year-old died of a gunshot wound he sustained while covering the clash between the police and the Shiite protesters on Monday in Abuja.

The news was confirmed during the News At 10 by the station. May his soul rest in peace.

Fasoranti’s daughter: Nobody is safe, happy in Nigeria – Anglican Bishop

The remains of the late Mrs Funke Olakunri, the daughter of the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, was committed to mother earth on Monday, amidst tears from her family, friends, and well-wishers.

Olakunri, the third daughter of the nonagenarian Afenifere leader, was killed by some gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen along Ore-Shagamu expressway in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, some days ago.

The St. David’s Cathedral Anglican Church, Akure, the Ondo State capital was full to the brim as dignitaries from all walks of life attended the funeral service for the deceased.

In his sermon, the bishop of the Akure Diocese of the Anglican Church, Simoen Borokini, lamented the rate of insecurity in the country, he said there was a need for the governments at all levels to be more proactive in the protection of lives and properties of the citizens.