FACT CHECK: Did US indict Atiku as brain behind killings in Nigeria?

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FACT CHECK: Did US indict Atiku as brain behind killings in Nigeria?

In May 2019, a few months after the presidential election, a news item began to circulate on social media media platforms claiming that the United States  had indicted Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the brain behind killings in the country.

Atiku, a former vice-president, had lost the election to President Muhammadu Buhari, who secured a second tenure in office.

The report, published majorly on blogs and widely shared on social media, claimed a US agency, Centre for Diplomacy and Democracy, based in Washington DC, made a “shocking revelation” that Atiku had threatened to destabilise the country ahead of Buhari’s inauguration.

The publication added that the US report was signed by one Catherine Kerigun on behalf of the group, claiming that Atiku’s plan was to make Buhari appear incapable of handling the security challenges in the country and instigate a revolt against the president.

Parts of the publication read: “The bulk of the threats were made by the opposition party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and groups sympathetic to him, who carried on as he had already won the elections before the commencement of the polls.

TWO YEARS AFTER, THE CLAIM RESURFACES AMID GROWING INSECURITY 
With the rising state of killings and violence across the country, the old report has resurfaced on social media platforms.

The latest were posts made by some individuals on Facebook and Twitter claiming the “US report” is still valid.

On May 9, Daramola Ife, a Facebook user, posted a caption of the report on his timeline. The poster has different pictures of Buhari as his profile pictures, which suggests he could be a supporter of the president.

“US report indicts Atiku as brain behind recent killings in Nigeria. I can’t say if true, God knows, if it’s, may he NEVER know peace,” he wrote.

Comments on the post show his friends chorusing “Amen”. One of the commenters, Esupofo Aduni, said: “He already said blood will flow when he lost the election. Let him and his family be drinking blood. The lord will continue to expose those people that are planning war in Nigeria. They will not have peace. There is no hiding place for them.”

The same day, another Facebook user, Abatam Nwosu, shared the “US report” on his timeline with the caption, “2019 report, still very relevant today!”

On May 9, Alaramma, a blog with over 1,500 followers, republished the report with headline: “US REPORT ALLEGEDLY INDICTS ATIKU & PDP AS BRAINS BEHIND RECENT KILLINGS IN NIGERIA.”

US REPORT ALLEGEDLY INDICTS @atiku and @OfficialPDPNig
AS BRAINS BEHIND RECENT KILLINGS IN NIGERIA.https://t.co/lnflvSYVg3 pic.twitter.com/YbbuaYbP6V

— Alaramma 100% (@a_hamman) May 9, 2021

‘CENTRE FOR DIPLOMACY AND DEMOCRACY’ DOESN’T EXIST
In trying to verify the report attributed to the “Centre for Diplomacy and Democracy, Washington DC, USA”, TheCable used key search engines to locate the agency and analyse its reports.

The results showed that the “US agency” does not exist. The agency and report were not mentioned in US government websites or news articles from US-based media.

Also, no credible newspaper in Nigeria published the report. It was only circulated on blogs in the country.

The name of “Catherine Kerigun”, who allegedly signed the report, was not available on social media networks.

VERDICT: In the absence of any evidence, either weak or strong, showing that the US linked Atiku to killings in Nigeria, the reports are dubious and can only be classified as false.

Sacked NPA Boss Fights Back

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Sacked NPA Boss Fights Back

Allegations of fraud perpetrated under her tenure have riled the beleaguered and suspended Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, and she spent Sunday marshalling a spirited effort to clear her name.

Appointed by President Muhammadu in July 2016, the daughter of the famous Ahmadu Bello University Historian and Radical, Professor Yahaya Bala Usman, was kicked out of the post for which she had erstwhile won a second term in January.
Hadiza Bala Usman’s statement reads in full:

Re: “How Suspended NPA Boss, Hadiza Usman Awarded Coastline Terminals to Dangote’s Proxy Company in Shady Deal” by Sahara Reporters
“My attention has been drawn to a report published by Sahara Reporters alleging that I, Hadiza Bala Usman “was involved in a clandestine ploy to shortchange a company in favour of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.”
“This report is false, without any foundation and a figment of some wild imagination of the news platform.

“To start with, the Nigerian Ports Authority has an executive management team, which always considers and takes business decisions on all assets of the Authority in the best interest of Nigeria. To claim that I singlehandedly awarded a contract in my capacity as Managing Director, is therefore, irresponsible, mischievous, and defamatory.

“The report also mischievously lumped the now expired service boat contract between the NPA and the Integrated Logistics Services’ (INTELs), which took off in 2007 with a review of a ten-year extension in 2011 to culminate in an expiration in August 2020 with the lease under discussion. The service boat contract expired through the effluxion of time and the Authority initiated a procurement process in which INTELs participated in line with all extant laws.

“Concerning Onne berths 9, 10 and 11, which the report alleged was “clandestinely” taken from INTELs. Here is the true position:

“The Authority offered these berths to INTELs in 2013 without any contractual agreement even though the offer letter required that the company should pay rent to the Authority for the use of the berths.

“In 2018, the Authority realised that INTELs had neither been making these payments for five years nor putting the berths to optimal use.

“The Authority then wrote INTELs to request for the payment of the arrears of monies that were unpaid and expand the utilisation of the facility.

“With the continued under-utilisation of the facility, the fact that there was no contractual agreement with INTELs from the outset and the urgent need to decongest the ports in Lagos, the Authority offered the berths to an internationally renowned container handling company, Messers International Container Terminal Nigerian Limited (ICTNL) for the use of the berths for container cargo discharging.

“ICTNL has signed a contract for the lease of the berths with the Authority and has commenced the installation of container handling equipment when INTELS instituted a court action challenging the withdrawal of the offer. That case is still in court!

“And according to reports in the media, ICTNL has refuted allegations that it has connections with Alhaji Aliko Dangote. This exposes another disgraceful fabrication by Sahara Reporters.

“I also note the insinuation of a non-existent monetary transfer between Alhaji Dangote and I during the 2015 elections. As I told People’s Gazette when I was approached about this story, no such transaction occurred.
“Having gone through the trouble to give this explanation, I demand that Sahara Reporters publish this rebuttal and give it the same measure of prominence given to the false story, which runs against all known ethics of journalism. “

Until the current development, Hadiza, daughter of the famed radical historian of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, the late Dr. Yahaya Bala Usman, had won the President’s approval to run a second term of five years at NPA that would would have lapsed in 2026.
She was Co-Convener of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement as well as a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) just like the President.

-The Will

CBN injects $1.47bn into forex market in one month

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CBN injects $1.47bn into forex market in one month

The Central Bank of Nigeria injected $1.47bn into the foreign exchange segment of the market as part of its efforts to stabilise the naira in January.

According to figures from the CBN’s January report on its foreign exchange market developments, this was a decrease of 47.4 per cent and 64.0 per cent from the level in the preceding month and corresponding period of 2020.

Part of the report read, “Total foreign exchange sales to authorised dealers by the bank was $1.47bn in January 2021, a decrease of 47.4 per cent and 64.0 per cent from the level in the preceding month and corresponding period of 2020, respectively.

“A disaggregation showed that foreign exchange sales at the I&E, SMIS, SME, and interbank fell by 79.9 per cent, 38.3 per cent, 19.8 per cent, and 37.3 per cent to $0.22bn, $0.48bn, $0.10bn, and $0.04bn respectively.

“Similarly, foreign exchange cash sales to BDC operators and matured swap transactions fell by 19.3 per cent and 48.7 per cent, compared with its level in the preceding month to $0.42bn and $0.12bn respectively in the review period.”

The report said in order to promote transparency and increase diaspora remittance inflows, the bank further updated and reiterated the modalities for the pay-out of diaspora remittances.

In a circular dated January 22, 2021, the bank said it emphasised that only licensed IMTOs were permitted to carry on the business of facilitating remittance transfers into Nigeria.

It added that all diaspora remittances must be received by beneficiaries in foreign currency cash or into their designated domiciliary accounts; and IMTOs were mandated to desist from allowing remittance pay-outs in naira.

The measures were meant to promote transparency in diaspora remittance transfers and thereby improve remittances inflows.

According to reports by members of the Monetary Policy Committee at the last meeting, the CBN continued to defend the naira in January and February.

It noted that naira exchange rate depreciated across the various windows including the I&E and BDC.

External reserves also declined from $36.6bn in December 2020 to $34.46bn in February 2021.

The committee stated that it was early to know the extent to which the new policy of CBN to boost remittances would impact on pressures in the foreign exchange market.

While capital imports had picked up in recent months, the MPC stated that it was still far below the level it was in January 2020.

Scam: Ogun Traditional ruler, Oba Tejuoso Arrested

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Scam: Ogun Traditional ruler, Oba Tejuoso Arrested

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested the Olu Of Kemta, Oba Adetokunbo Tejuoso in Odeda Local Government Council, following the alleged romance scam and multiple forgery.

Olu kemta is a member of Egba traditional Council who was recommended by the last administration and upgraded from Baale to a Coronet Oba during Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s regime.

The arrests came after a lady petitioned Ogun state police command.

According to a source, Olu kemta, an Oba without a wife or a child, specialises in defrauding his unsuspecting victims mostly wealthy ladies via social media through Facebook and Instagram with a promise of marriage.

“He is also fun of taking photographs with influential people and beautiful places to promote his ambitions on his Instagram and Facebook pages” one of the victims said

Our correspondent learnt that several petitions had been submitted to the Ogun state traditional institution by some of his victims but were ignored

Oba Tejuoso always look for wealthy ladies through their online profiles and photographs to determine his approach.

His latest victim is appealing to the Ogun state government and Ogun state Council of Obas under the chairmanship of the Awujale and Paramount ruler of Ijebu Land, Oba Dr. Sikiru Adetona to assist her get justice.

It is sad to discover that the sacred traditional institution has become the final bus stop for fraudulent people because of lack of integrity checks and balances by the government and tradition council before approval is given.

Lagos new law empowers State to take over Tinubu’s ‘corruption case’ from EFCC

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Lagos new law empowers State to take over Tinubu’s ‘corruption case’ from EFCC

A new law passed by the Lagos state house of assembly and signed by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor, will establish an anti-corruption agency that has the “exclusive” rights to probe cases of corruption that have to do with the state.

The agency when set up will take over cases relating to Lagos from agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The law entitled ‘Lagos State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Law’ was signed by Sanwo-Olu last week, according to the newspaper.

Investigations by the EFCC into the stewardship of Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, both former governors of Lagos, are said to be in progress.

There is also a petition at the EFCC against Bola Tinubu, former Lagos governor who is believed to be nursing a presidential ambition, over alleged corruption. Not much has been heard about it.

Mudasiru Obasa, speaker of the Lagos assembly who oversaw the passage of the bill, has also been accused of corruption. The speaker was grilled by the EFCC in 2020 and had all his accounts frozen through a court order.

They all denied any wrongdoing.

Section 13(3) of the new law says: “The commission shall upon the commencement of this law take over the investigation of all anti-corruption and financial crime cases involving the finances and assets of Lagos State Government being investigated by any other agency.”

Section 13(5) provides that, “the commission shall have the power to the exclusion of any other agency or body to investigate and coordinate the investigation of corruption and financial crimes cases involving the finances and assets of the state government.”

The new agency is empowered to probe any offence under the criminal law of the state in relation to corruption and financial crimes, abuse of office, offences relating to administration of justice, obtaining by false pretences, cybercrime, fake news, interception of emails and fraudulent dealing with property debtors.

The law did not bar the house of assembly or any court from probing corruption cases.

EXCLUSIVE: How EFCC Detained Godswill Akpabio For Two Hours After Attempting To Bribe Agency Chairman With $350,000

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EXCLUSIVE: How EFCC Detained Godswill Akpabio For Two Hours After Attempting To Bribe Agency Chairman With $350,000

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission detained the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio after he attempted to bribe the Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Abdulrasheed Bawa, SaharaReporters has learnt.

Sources told SaharaReporters on Friday that Akpabio and five others with him, said to be his aides, were detained for two hours last Monday, April 12 by the EFCC after the minister attempted to bribe Bawa with $350,000 (about N135 million).

According to sources, Akpabio was trying to bribe the EFCC Chairman because of the tons of corruption allegations against him, dating back to the time he was governor of Akwa Ibom State.

It was learnt that the meeting between Akpabio and Bawa was arranged by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), who was recently embroiled in a N5 million bribery controversy himself.

Akpabio was said to have carried the $350,000 in cash personally to Bawa before he was detained.

SaharaReporters gathered that it took a call from the Aso Villa to the EFCC Chairman to get Akpabio and his aides released.

A top source in the EFCC said, “He arrived at the EFCC office with five others and headed to meet the newly appointed Chairman, Bawa.

“The Attorney General of the Federation who was recently arranged the meeting for the minister. You remember his bribery issue with Malami himself involving $5 million.

“He was ushered in at 1 pm to see the EFCC chairman while carrying the money personally. He was arrested and detained, along with his aides, all six of them. It was a call from the Villa that got him released after two hours.”

However, it was not clear as of the time of writing this report if the $350,000 had been released to Akpabio but SaharaReporters learnt that there had been enormous pressure on Bawa to return the money to the minister.

According to reports, Akpabio had also bribed Malami and others with $5 million to get Effiong Akwa appointed as the sole administrator for the Niger Delta Development Commission, an allegation both of them denied.

There have also been allegations of N40 billion fraud perpetrated in the NDDC which is under the supervision of Akpabio’s ministry, explaining the pressure on Akpabio to clear the weight of corruption allegations hanging on his neck.

The Senate and the House of Representatives had last year resolved to probe the alleged N40 billion financial recklessness of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC in the previous three months.

But Akpabio, whose ministry supervises the agency, swiftly released a statement entitled “Re: National Assembly probes alleged N40bn corruption in NDDC”, saying under the supervision of the Niger Delta Affairs ministry, no corruption has been recorded in the NDDC.

Also, there have been allegations of over N86 billion contract scam involving Akpabio and the Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, which the EFCC has been looking into.

Noting the pressure on Akpabio, another source said, “Don’t forget he has tons of corruption cases with the EFCC right from when he was a governor. And now with NDDC scams in billions, he is under a lot of pressure.

“When Akpabio was released, he called Malami, who had arranged his meeting with the EFCC chairmen, frantically asking him to drive to the EFCC office to explain to Bawa that he didn’t mean to cause him any harm by bribing him but Malami said he was sick.

“Malami told him he had just returned from Turkey after which he travelled to Sokoto and collapsed in public.”

SaharaReporters had on April 15 reported how Malami collapsed in Sokoto state while he was there for the inauguration of the reconstructed State High Court complex by Governor Aminu Tambuwal.

It was gathered that the minister collapsed after delivering his address at the ceremony and was quickly revived by his aides and dignitaries who helped him to stand.

He was subsequently hospitalised at a private facility upon his return to Abuja.

How CCTV ’caught’ nollywood actor Baba Ijesha molesting minor

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How CCTV ’caught’ nollywood actor Baba Ijesha molesting minor

When the news of the arrest of popular Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, aka Baba Ijesha, for allegedly defiling a minor, it looked like another movie promo, a stunt meant to promote a new movie.

But it has now been revealed that the story is no promo or a stunt. The fact of the matter is that the Osun State-born actor is now cooling his heels inside a cell of the Lagos Police Command.

The story of how was caught in the act has now been revealed.

It was gathered that a closed-circuit television installed in the victim’s home captured Omiyinka allegedly molesting the victim while her mother was not at home.

It was learnt that the victim’s mother, who had been suspecting that her daughter was being sexually abused, installed the CCTV to uncover the perpetrator.

The victim’s mother was said to have monitored the situation in her home on her phone and to her dismay, she saw Omiyinka allegedly conducting himself in a suspicious manner around her daughter.

The thespian allegedly took the victim away from the sitting room into the kitchen, where there was no CCTV camera installed, and the mother, who rushed back home upon the discovery, allegedly caught Omiyinka defiling her daughter in the kitchen.

The victim’s mother was said to have been inconsolable after her discovery.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement on Thursday that Omiyinka was arrested after a case of defilement was reported against him, adding that preliminary investigation revealed that he had been sexually assaulting the 14-year-old victim since she was seven.

He stated that Omiyinka confessed to the crime, adding that the case had been transferred to the Gender Unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, for proper investigation.

Adejobi said, “The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a popular Nollywood actor, Olarenwaju James (Omiyinka), aka Baba Ijesha, 48, for defiling a minor

“The case of defilement was reported on April 19, 2021, by one Princess Adekola Adekanya at the Sabo Police Station and was transferred to the Gender Unit of the SCIID, Panti, Yaba, for proper investigation.

“Based on preliminary findings, the suspect started sexually assaulting the victim, 14, since she was seven-year-old. The suspect confessed to the crime and was also captured by a CCTV camera in the house of the victim’s mother.

“The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered proper investigation as he promised to do justice in the matter.”

EFCC Declares Warri Wanted Over Alleged N125m Fraud

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EFCC Declares Warri Wanted Over Alleged N125m Fraud


The Advanced Fee Fraud Section of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared a businessman Mr Andrew Foubiri Warri standing trial for allegedly obtaining N125m by false pretence and issuing a dud cheque wanted.

It alleged following his arraignment, Warri became evasive, jumped bail and last December 21 resisted re-arrest by EFCC operatives at his office at Port Harcourt in Rivers State.

Warri is the first of three defendants in a seven-count charge bothering on the offences before the Ikeja High Court in Lagos.

The other defendants on the charge seen by The Nation are Warri’s alter egos, A.M Projects Consulting Ltd and Ranez Medical Consultancy Ltd in a case reported by a new generation bank.

In a statement, the EFCC said: “Consequentially and in line with professional best practices, the Commission approached a court of competent jurisdiction for an arrest warrant which was used in declaring the suspect wanted with a view to letting the public know and assist in apprehending him to face the criminal charge against him which he obviously wants to evade.”

The warrant, seen by The Nation, was granted by Mrs A. O. Ajibade of a Lagos State Magistrates Court at 1:15 pm on March 16, 2021.

FG Grants NLNG ₦20bn Tax Waiver

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FG Grants NLNG ₦20bn Tax Waiver

The Federal government has granted Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) ₦20 billion tax waiver for construction of Bodo Bonny Bridge in Rivers State.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) presented the road infrastructure credit certificate to LNG in Abuja on Thursday.

NLNG has so far received three credit certificates in the last three years valued at ₦46billion.

Thursday’s own is the third while the fourth is expected later in the year.

President Muhammadu Buhari signed Executive Order Seven (07) in 2020 authorising companies that provide critical infrastructure like roads to be granted tax waivers.

The Bodo Bonny Bridge and roads across Okpobo channels in Rivers State were constructed by Julius Berger at a cost of ₦120.681 billion.

For this, the government has granted the company a tax waiver of ₦20 billion.

FIRS Executive Chairman, Muhammad Nami, represented by Coordinating Director, Tax Operations Group, Femi Oluwaniyi, urged other corporate bodies across the country to join NLNG and Dangote Nigeria Limited to take advantage of government’s tax credit facility.

Oluwaniyi praised NLNG for paying its 2020 tax obligations valued at ₦130 billion three months ahead of time.

Receiving the tax credit certificate on behalf of NLNG, Mr. Bayo Denrele said NLNG provided 50 percent part funding for Bodo Bonny Bridge project with the federal ministry of Works taking up the other half. Julius Berger handled the construction of the bridge.

Denrele commended the FIRS for speedily processing the latest tax credit certificate.

He noted the company got the last certificate in November 2020.

According to Bayo Denrele: “The speed with which the FIRS handled the issuance of this certificate is a testament to the efficiency of the FIRS”.

Dangote Nigeria limited is another company that has enjoyed tax waiver for providing infrastructure.

Higher oil prices push up external reserves by $409m

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Higher oil prices push up external reserves by $409m

The country’s external reserves returned to a growth path as it gained $409m in two weeks, latest figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria disclosed on Monday.

According to the CBN’s figures on movement of reserves, the figure which stood at $34.845bn as of the end of April 1 rose to $35.254bn as of the end of April 16.

According to the CBN, the improvement in the level of external reserves reflects the recent upsurge in crude oil prices on the backdrop of the renewed optimism on the successful deployment of COVID-19 vaccines across the globe.

In March, the reserves had lost $178m after dropping from $34.99bn as of the end of March 1 to $34.82bn as of the end of March 31.

In February, the reserves dropped by $1.1bn, falling from $36.19bn as of February 1 to $35.09bn as of February 26.

The CBN stated in its January economic report that, “As a consequence of the lower foreign exchange receipts, the official external reserves declined.

“External reserves stood at $35.44bn at end-January 2021, a decrease of 2.8 per cent and 3.5 per cent from $36.46bn in December 2020 and $36.73bn in January 2020.

“At that level, the external reserves position could cover 6.1 months of import for goods and services and 8.2 months of import for goods only.”

It added that available data showed that Nigeria’s reserves per capita decreased to $171.88, compared with $176.89 at end-December 2020.

The report said that in January, a breakdown of external reserves by ownership revealed the shares of the CBN as $30.18bn (85.18 per cent); Federal Government, $5.18bn (14.62 per cent); and federation, $0.07bn (0.20 per cent).

In terms of currency composition, the US dollar at $28.64bn, accounted for 80.81 per cent; Chinese yuan, $4.31bn (12.16 per cent); special drawing rights, $2.12bn (6.0 per cent); GB Pounds, $0.24bn (0.66 per cent); Euro, $0.12bn (0.34 per cent); Japanese Yen, $0.01bn (0.03 per cent); while other currencies accounted for the balance.

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