The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of Guaranty Trust Bank after it reversed its earlier decision which dismissed an appeal by GTB against a N2.4bn judgment given in favour of Innoson Motors Nigeria Limited by the Court of Appeal in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A senior official of GTB, who confirmed this, said, “Yes, the Supreme court ruled in favour of GTbank on Friday.”
A judgment delivered on Friday by a five-member panel, led by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, held unanimously that the Supreme Court erred when, in a ruling on February 27, 2019, it erroneously dismissed the appeal marked: SC/694/2014 filed by GTB.
In the lead judgment, written by Justice Tijani Abubakar, but read on Friday by Justice Abdu Aboki, the court held that it was misled by its Registry, which failed to promptly bring to the notice of the panel that it sat on the case on February 27, 2019, and that GTB had already filed its appellant’s brief of argument.
The judgment was on an application by GTB seeking the re-listing of the appeal on the grounds that it was wrongly dismissed.
The Supreme Court said the panel that sat on the case on February 27, 2019, being notified of the existence of the appellant’s brief of argument, would not have given the ruling which dismissed GTB’s appeal on grounds of lack of diligent prosecution.
Relying on Order 8 Rules 16 of the Supreme Court’s Rules, Justice Abubakar, in the lead judgment, held that the apex court has the power to set aside its decision in certain circumstances, like any other court.
He added that such circumstances include where there is any reason to do so, such as where any of the parties obtained judgment by fraud, default or deceit; where such a decision is a nullity or where it is obvious that the court was misled into giving a decision.
Justice Tijani held that the circumstances of the GTB case fall into the category of the rare cases where the Supreme Court could amend or alter its own order on the grounds that the said order or judgment did not present what it intended to record.
“I am convinced that at the material time that the appellant’s appeal was inadvertently dismissed by this court, there was in place, a valid and subsisting brief of argument filed by the applicant.
“It will be unjust to visit the sin of the court’s Registry on an innocent, vigilant, proactive and diligent litigant.
“It is obvious from the material before us, that there were errors committed by the Registry of this court, having failed to bring to the notice of the panel of Justices that sat in chambers on the 27th February 2019 that the appellant had indeed filed its brief of argument.
“This is a case deserving of positive consideration by this court.
“Having gone through all the materials in this application, therefore, I am satisfied that the appellant/applicant’s brief of argument was filed before the order of this court made on the 27th of February 2019 dismissing the applicant’s appeal.
“The order dismissing the appeal was therefore made in error. It ought not to have been made if all materials were disclosed. The application is, therefore, meritorious and hereby succeeds,” Justice Abubakar said.
He proceeded to set aside the court’s ruling of February 27, 2019, dismissing GTB’s appeal and ordered that the appeal marked 694/2014 “be relisted to constitute an integral part of the business of the court until its hearing and determination on the merit.”
Other members of the panel – Justices Ariwoola, John Okoro, Helen Ogunwumiju, Aboki – agreed with the lead judgment.
The non-remittance of tax deductions by ministries, departments and agencies of government as well as the House of Representatives and Senate led to the loss of tax revenue of N5.8bn by the Federal Inland Revenue Service in 2019.
The Office of the Auditor General of the Federation disclosed this in its 2019 Annual Report on non-compliance, internal control, and weakness issues in MDAs of the Federal Government of Nigeria for the year ended December 31, 2019.
The MDAs are the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Federal College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology, New Bussa; Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria; Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority; Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited; Hussaini Adamu Federal Polytechnic, Jigawa State; Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State’ Department of Petroleum Resources; National Assembly Service Commission; and Nigerian Correctional Service.
The report said between 2018 and 2019, the MDAs failed to either remit one per cent stamp duty, value added tax, withholding tax or Pay As You Earn tax deducted from awarded contracts, thereby contravening sections of the Financial Regulations and Treasury Circular issued on December 29, 2015.
According to the report, Paragraph 234(I) of the Financial Regulations states that ‘it is mandatory for accounting officers to ensure full compliance with the dual roles of making provision for the Value Added Tax and withholding tax due on supply and services contract and actual remittance of same’.
It quoted Paragraph 235 as saying, “Deduction of VAT, WHT, and PAYE shall be remitted to Federal Inland Revenue Service at the same time the payee who is the subject of deduction is paid.”
According to the report, the Treasury circular Ref No. TRY/A12&B12/2015 and OAGF/CAD/VOL.II/390 dated December 29, 2015 states that “1% Stamp Duty chargeable on contract awards and the remittance be made to the relevant tax authority (Federal Inland Revenue Service).”
It said, “The audit observed that the sum of N5,828,621,715.06 was the amount of taxes not remitted by 12 Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has the highest amount of N2,984,887,250.00 while Federal College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology, New Bussa has the least amount of N1,021,011.13.”
Entrepreneur and socialite, Obi Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, was said to have recently spent some time in the office of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for questioning over his alleged ties to some drug traffickers.
In an interview with media personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, aka Daddy Freeze, Obi stated that though he trusted the NDLEA to do a good job, he ‘felt low’ being linked with trafficking in hard drugs. Recall that prior to his encounter with the NDLEA, he had been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged money laundering.
Speaking about his ordeal with the anti-drug agency, Obi said, “While growing in life, people must face some challenges, and I am facing mine at the moment. I was in detention for four days and three nights. I did not feel bad because I knew the agency would do a thorough job and if I was cleared, I would be allowed to go because it was not a witch hunt. However, linking me to a drug issue made me feel low. It is repulsive because it is something I had made a covenant to never support, invest in or be part of. Getting the invitation from the NDLEA got to me because it is something I have always fought against. It destroys generations, and my children could also become victims. I was told someone paid money into my account, and I believe the agency, which I feel is a responsible one, would make their findings known to the public once they are done with their investigation.”
Contrary to what some people think, the Cubana Group honcho stated that he had no plans to get involved in politics. The Anambra State-born socialite said, “I have zero interest in politics. I am not interested in becoming a governor, whether now or in the future. I am the Governor of Cubana Empire, and that is enough for me. I have just one vote. Interestingly, my wife and I do not even discuss whom to support in elections because I feel it should be a personal decision.”
The nightclub proprietor also stated that he would like to meet the young hawker who recently went viral for giving money to people in a prison van while selling water in traffic. He said, “I want to meet the boy, and I want him to go to school in good condition. I would sponsor him through the university. If he wants to do study for a Master’s degree outside the country, I will make sure he is comfortable while going to school because his act of giving touched me. I would do whatever he wants for him, and by God’s grace, when he is done with school, he would get a top-level position at any of my organizations. However, if he finds a ‘higher calling’, he is free to do as he pleases. I just want him to know he now has a mentor who would guide him through this tough world.”
The Federal Government may have turned the over N1tn Natural Minerals Resources Fund set up to develop the solid minerals sector to a ‘slush’ fund, investigations revealed.
The fund was set up by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration via an Executive Order in 2002 to develop alternative mineral resources to lessen the nation’s dependence on petroleum in the country.
Findings indicated that N738.7bn and $3m had been disbursed from the fund for extraneous expenses, including the 2015 elections, African Nations Cup, roads and drainage rehabilitation in Osun, Kano and other states.
Total accrual to the fund between 2002 and 2012 was put at N873bn, while utilisation stood at N701bn, leaving a balance of N172bn by the end of 2012.
Between 2013 and 2014, N159.6bn was contributed to the fund, leaving an outstanding balance of N350bn.
Investigations by the House of Representatives revealed that the Federal Government paid former President Goodluck Jonathan and his deputy, Namadi Sambo, N1.5bn exit package from the natural resources fund after leaving office in May 2015.
However, the report was silent on how much each of them was paid.
The green chamber further discovered that since 2002 when the fund was set up, all the past Presidents, including the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, granted approval outside the core mandate of the fund.
It said Osinbajo approved disbursement from the fund while he was acting President contrary to the stipulations by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Policy.
About N100m was also approved for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for control of locust and other outbreaks in Niger Republic in September 2016.
These revelations were contained in the report of the ‘Ad hoc Committee on Utilisation of N350bn Natural Resources Fund as a financial window for the development of the solid minerals sector and the need to ascertain Federal Government investments and proceeds from minerals and steel development, 2017.’
The 18-page report catalogued 53 expenditures from the natural resources fund carried out by the Federal Government since 2002.
The committee found that N23.1bn was spent on basket methodology from rice support fund on January 28, 2019 while N10.8bn was expended on Emergency Agriculture Intervention Fund in conflict states on January 14, 2019.
The government also spent N4bn on roads, school rehabilitation social intervention programmes in Osun State in July, 2017; N4bn on markets, drainage, and parking lots in Kano in 2017.
The report said, “N40bn was approved in December 2016 for the payment of statutory agencies’ salary shortfalls, military pensions cost, and State House expenditure; N1.2bn was released to the National Security Adviser for the 2015 capital expenditure for the Presidential air fleet in February 2016.
“Payment of N1.575,250,000 entitlement of outgoing President and Vice President, May 28, 2015; N3bn payment to the Federal Capital Territory Administration to meet the critical end of administration payments, July 8, 2015; N5bn given to the Office of the National Security Adviser in July 2015 to execute capital projects, July 14, 2015; N1.1bn payment to the FCTA to meet the critical end of administration payments, September 4, 2015. ’’
It also noted that N300m was paid as compensation to Albarka Air Plc by the Federal Ministry of Aviation in May, 2015; N30bn to the Independent National Electoral Commission for preparation and conduct of the 2015 elections; N100m to the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology for ‘Vatican City on the Assumpta Science Centre, Ofekata, Owerri’ on May 18, 2015.
It also revealed that N15bn was paid to Lucius Nwosu (SAN), as payment for judgment creditor in respect of genocide at Odi in kolokuma Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.
It disclosed that N7.9bn was diverted to the Gombe State government as a special intervention fund to secure public schools in August 2014.
The report signed by the committee chairman, Adamu Kamale and the clerk, Ajibade Oyebimpe, recommended that “the National Assembly should put in place all necessary measures to recover the sum of N738.7bn plus $3m disbursed from 2002-2019 from the Development of Natural Resources Fund.’’
“Also, ensure that no further abuse of the fund is perpetrated and that the National Assembly should ensure that all withdrawals from the fund have to be done in accordance with the aims of the executive order establishing the fund,’’ the committee said.
The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu, could not be reached on efforts made to recover the diverted funds on Saturday as calls to his phone indicated it was unavailable.
Governor Nyesom Wike has accused a divisional police officer in Rivers State of operating an illegal refinery in the state.
Mr Wike said the officer heads the police division in Emohua Local Government Area of the state.
He demanded his redeployment from Rivers State.
“He must leave this state. I can’t be governor here and the security man owns an illegal refinery. No, it is not possible. The man has to go. Take him to wherever they allow bunkering,” Mr Wike said on Friday in Government House, Port Harcourt in a meeting with local council chairmen and heads of security agencies in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Eboka Friday, was at the meeting. The police have yet to comment on the governor’s allegation and his demand.
Mr Wike’s remarks were contained in a statement on Friday from his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri.
The governor said it was unfortunate and unbelievable for security officials in Nigeria to be involved in illegal bunkering. “I can’t believe it,” he said.
He accused the civil defence officer in-charge of vandalisation of oil pipelines in the state of being a saboteur, and demanded his immediate redeployment from Rivers.
Mr Wike has repeatedly said that the soot in Port Harcourt and its environs is caused by the operation of illegal refineries in the state, and has vowed to go after their operators.
The governor at the Friday meeting ordered the local council chairpersons in the state to go after the operators of illegal refineries.
“I’ve called you here to tell you that it’s a total war. It is either we do it or we don’t do it. We cannot allow what is going on to continue. Two things – our people are dying, it’s shortening our own revenue.
“You check from the Federation Account, Akwa Ibom and Delta states are getting more, why? Because, these boys of the cartel have caused so much problems for us. So we will not allow it,” Mr Wike said.
“Now, every council chairman must go and identify where illegal refineries are taking place. If you identify one, you get N2 million. So, go and identify as many as you can. I will pay N2 million for each one. I am going to fight against this. Our people are dying and we owe our people the responsibility to protect them, to save them from death they never caused.
“So, you must, and you’re given 48 hours to go and identify all illegal refineries sites, and those who are in charge of them,” the governor said to the council chairmen.
A 59-year-old Italy-based Nigeria Mrs Veronica Bolaji Wiwoloku has alleged that her husband of 33 years, Mr Vivian Olusola Omololu Wiwoloku, abandoned her to marry another woman in Nigeria, whilst still legally married to her.
According to her, Mr Wiwoloku packed out of their home in Italy on October 10, 2019 without notice.
Mr and Mrs Wiwoloku has been married since1988 and the marriage is blessed with three children, the first of which is 31 years old.
Mrs Wiwoloku said she was in Nigeria together with her husband in June 2019, but, her husband returned to Italy ahead of her. But, when she arrived Italy, she was told her husband had left home.
Mrs-Veronica Bolaji Wiwoloku
“I returned to Italy from Nigeria on October 10th and I called my husband to let him know that I had landed in Rome and that I would take my flight to our home the next day, but I didn’t meet him when I got home on October 11.
“I called to know his whereabouts but he said I shouldn’t bother to look for him. When I asked my children the movement of their dad before I arrived, they told me that their dad didn’t discuss his whereabouts, but that he collected about N2million from my business before leaving.
“When he later travelled back to Nigeria last year, I received calls from one Nancy Modupe Olajiga, 47-year-old, a civil servant with Ekiti State government, working in the Ministry of Justice as a senior legal officer, threatening me that she had taken over my husband and also my properties.
“I didn’t believe this because I didn’t think someone can marry another woman without divorce. We did court marriage in Nigeria and we also did in Italy and this man didn’t for one day seek for divorce from me. Someone however sent me a newspaper publication of the new wife’s change of name and also the court affidavit”.
Affidavit by Modupe Olajiga
This confirmed my fear.
When our correspondent asked Mrs Wiwoloku why her husband abandoned her to marry another woman in Nigeria, she said:
“I think he’s after my properties, because the new woman called me that they have taken over my properties. I have a house, industrial land and many landed properties in Nigeria that I gave my husband money to buy on my behalf.
“We had bought the properties in our family name because of the love I have for my husband.
“I’m presently in Nigeria now and I have been trying to reach my husband, so that we can discuss and have my properties back, but, he has been avoiding me.
“In my effort to see him, I called one of his close friends to know how he can facilitate our meeting, but, his friend told me he just went back to Italy.”
When our correspondent asked further about Mr Wiwoloku and why she trusted him with her properties, she said: “I did everything because of the love I had for him. There are many times I should have doubted his love and trust but I didn’t, because of my children.
Modupe Olajiga
“There are many atrocities he committed which I covered up for him in Italy. One of them was his cousin, who had to run away from our house when I was away to Nigeria in the year 2007, because my husband was having an affair with her anytime I was not at home.
“My husband also impregnated two ladies in Italy at the pastorial school he attended, but I covered up because of my children.
“I want to use this medium to appeal to his place of work, Pellegrino Della Terra, his church Methodist and Valdese Church in Palermo and Italian government to please investigate him and make sure he returns to Nigeria.”
Our correspondent couldn’t reach Mr Wiwoloku and Mrs Nancy Modupe for their reaction on his Nigeria line; messages were also sent to their numbers, but no response had been received as at the time of publication.
A former Manager with the Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Osadebe Osakwe has dragged the publisher of Sahara Reporters Mr. Omoyele Sowore and the Sahara Reporters Media group to a Lagos High Court seeking the sum of N250 million each as damages from the defendants for alleged defamation of character.
Dr. Osadebe who is also the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of North China Construction Nigeria in his statement of claim, alleged that the defendants in their online news media, website and blog on 17th May 2016, published the offensive material captioned “Zenith Bank Manager uses Armed thugs to take land from indigenes”.
The publication went further to say “A crisis is reportedly brewing between Igbodo Community in the Ika North East and Onicha-ugbo community in Aniocha North Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta state following alleged criminal activities coordinated by a Manager of Zenith Bank Plc, Osadebe Osakwe. Dr. Osakwe, an indigene of Onicha-Ugbo community and a Manager of Zenith Bank Plc has allegedly been using armed thugs to seize land from residents of Igbodo community.
“Sahara Reporters reliably gathered that Dr. Osakwe who has used the confiscated land to established a farm called “Adagat” Agricultural Ventures Limited” has continuously boasted that the Minister for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu and his brother, a Senior Police Officer are solidly behind his land-grabbing from the people of Igbodo community for the purpose of starting a World Bank farming project…”.
The Plaintiff, who also alleged that the defendants in another publication on 19th April, 2018 titled: “Scandal: Gov. Okowa, Sister, SSG and Others Embroiled in N13.6bn Secretariat Complex Fraud.” The defendants in the publication on their website stated that: “Delta state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, his sister, Ivana Shenton, Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Festus Ovie Agas, Commissioner for Special Duties, Government House, Asaba, Henry Sakpra, a former Zenith Bank Manager, Osadebe Osakwe and others have been indicted in a N13.6 billion fraud scandals related to a new secretariat complex being built by the state and information available to this website indicated that the governor, awarded the contract for the new central secretariat complex to North China Construction Company Nigeria Limited (NCCG) which allegedly has the governor’s Sister, Ivana Shenton and former Zenith Bank Manager, Osadebe Osakwe as frontiers.’
“Checks by Sahara Reporters revealed that North China Construction Nigeria Limited was registered two years before the emergence of Okowa as a governor with Corporate Affairs Commission registration number, RC 1113315, and is being managed by Osadebe Osakwe, the former Zenith Bank manager who is also a strong ally of the Delta governor… It was alleged Osakwe spent a fortune in making sure Okowa emerged governor of Delta state in 2015 general elections. It described the contract as ‘a conduit pipe being used by Governor Okowa to drain the state’s treasury ahead of his second term bid….”
Dr. Osadebe said the defendants have caused to be made and published several publication against him through their online media to reduce his estimation before the average right thinking members of the society.
He said the publications of the defendants have clearly and deliberately represented to the whole world that he is a stooge, corrupt, fraudster, a killer, a cheat, a dubious fellow of questionable character, a thief, lacking in integrity and an enemy of the people of Delta State of Nigeria, the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the International Community altogether, and these imputations are in no doubt defamatory against any standards worldwide.
Briefing journalists, Dr. Osadebe’s lawyer, Barr. Patrick Odozi stated in his word “I know that the said unverified and unsubstantiated publications which was put in an international online news media and published worldwide, is completely false and fabricated, and I strongly emphasize that in all the said publications the defendants defamed the character and image of my client on the internet which has been published and read and still being read till date by different people within Nigeria and abroad who have now come to see my client as a brute, corrupt and a debased fellow,” The lawyer asserted.
An interest group, Advocacy for Social Justice (ASJ), has called on the Inspector General of Police in Nigeria, Usman Alkali Baba, to mandate Ogun State Police Command to find an unregistered Hilux bus impounded by the men of the Nigerian Police on Saturday when they arrested a gang of suspected hoodlums on which dangerous weapons were found during the congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
In a statement released earlier today, the group gave the Ogun State Police Command to produce the vehicle within twenty-four (24) hours, after which the matter would be elevated if the plea was not heeded.
The group also tasked the IGP to show interest in the case to ensure justice is served in the case involving an aide of former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and the suspected hoodlums reportedly loyal to the serving Senator, who have arrested for gun running and suspicion to cause mayhem in Ogun State during the congresses of the All Progressives Congress.
The gang was stopped, thoroughly searched and consequently apprehended by the Police while their bus was immediately impounded.
Upon interrogation, one of the suspect confessed they had been hired by an aide of Senator Amosun, Honourable Mikky Kazeem, to disrupt the congresses by inflicting carnage and wanton destruction on people’s property.
The call by ASK has become necessary after reports indicate that the impounded unregistered Hilux bus, which is major evidence, has since disappeared from where it was parked.
According to the group, the tacit complicity by the Police would not be ruled out “as the bus could not have been stolen or taken away without a trace without the connivance of someone in the Police.”
“We have it on good authority that a family member of a top politician in the state has been on the case and has been deploying resources to set the arrested suspects free and also attempt to compromise the on-going investigation into the activities of the suspects.”
“We therefore call on the IGP Usman Alkali Baba to show keen interest in the case and ensure that it is not swept under the carpet,” the group admonished.
Men of the Nigerian Police found one English Barreta pistol with breach no PT 92 AFS with five live ammunition and one locally fabricated revolver pistol on the suspected hoodlums in the Hilux bus. The suspects are: IBRAHIM AMOJE ‘M’, YUSUF AZEEZ ‘M’, OLAIDE SODIQ ‘M’, ADEWALE OGUNDELE ‘M’, FEMI OKE ‘M’, and BALOGUN OLAWALE DHIKRULLAHI ‘M’.
• Declare bandits as terrorists, el-Rufai urges FG • Security experts urge Buhari to take FETO alert seriously • Nigeria, Turkey trade volume to expand by $5b • Sign MoU on energy, defence, industry, mining
Visiting Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has raised the alarm over presence of a terror group hibernating in Nigeria, Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO), as both nations, yesterday, signed eight critical bilateral agreements on energy, defence and hydrocarbon, among others.
Erdogan, who is on a two-day official visit to Nigeria, made the revelation at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he met with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Specifically, FETO, an atypical, armed terror group, exploiting religious sentiments of the people, was said to be behind the failed 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.
Recall that Turkey had accused the coup leaders of being linked to the Gulen Movement, led by Fethullah Gulen, reported to have about 17 schools in Nigeria.
Addressing a joint press conference during the visit, President Erdogan, accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Emine Erdogan, solicited cooperation from Nigeria as his country battle terrorism, stressing that his country has been battling terrorism for many years.
“Turkey has been fighting against terrorist organisations for many decades, such as the PKK, PYD, FETO, DASH and other terrorist organisations.
“The perpetrator of the heinous failed coup of July 15, FETO, is still illegally active in Nigeria, and we are continuously sharing our intelligence with the Nigerian interlocutors and authorities. I hope and pray that our Nigerian brothers will forge a closer solidarity in this field with us, the Republic of Turkey. I hope and pray that our visit will yield the most auspicious results and I would like to thank my distinguished brother, President Buhari, for being such a gracious host for me and for my delegation.”
President Erdogan, who departs for Togo today, said Turkey was keenly following developments in Nigeria and expressed the readiness of his country to share capabilities with the West African nation to fight terrorism to a halt.
Commiserating with Nigeria on the attack in Goronyo Council of Sokoto State, which claimed over 40 lives, the Turkish leader pledged that his country would further cooperate with Nigeria on counter-terrorism as well as in the fields of military, defence and security.
On the economic front, he stressed that Turkey was determined to improve relations with Nigeria to ‘’higher levels on all fields,’’ revealing his country’s readiness to expend about $5 billion dollars to increase the trade volume between the two countries.
“We hope and pray that the relations between the two nations would be further developed on the basis of a win-win situation and on the basis of mutual respect.”
“We shall be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two nations, and Nigeria hosts one of the oldest diplomatic missions of the Republic of Turkey on the African continent. Nigeria is one of the outstanding members of international organisations such as the G-8, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), ECOWAS and the African Union.
“We should appreciate the tremendous efforts of Nigeria with eventual goal of bringing peace, stability, and economic development to the entire African continent. Nigeria holds the manufacturing position of the entire continent, and trade volume between the two nations reached $2 billion last year. Thus, Nigeria became our most outstanding and biggest trade partner in sub-Saharan Africa.”
RESPONDING, President Buhari heaped praises on President Erdogan for opening his country’s borders to accommodate millions of refugees in dire need of humanitarian support, saying that his Turkish counterpart has set an example to the rest of the world on how to treat refugees.
“I commend Your Excellency for your leadership and generosity in receiving and accommodating four million refugees fleeing conflict areas, particularly in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.”
He noted that it was the second time he was receiving the visiting president in Abuja.’
On the accomplishments from the visit, President Buhari said: “We held very useful discussions on a number of bilateral issues, aimed at strengthening this cordial relationship between Nigeria and Turkey. The key issues we touched on included a series of Bilateral Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding that had been finalised.
“As a positive outcome, eight major Agreements/MoUs on a number of the key sectors including energy, defence, industry, mining and hydrocarbons among others were signed today (Wednesday). We have agreed that implementation is to commence immediately.
“In the course of our discussions, we also reviewed the travel ban list based on the revised COVID-19 protocols and removed Turkey from Nigeria’s travel ban list.’’
THE 2016 coup, largely blamed on the exiled and acclaimed Muslim scholar, Fetullah Gulen, struck the nation like a tremor, when about 10,000 soldiers staged attacks against government institutions, and after hours of action, 251 people were killed and over 2,000 were injured, many of who confronted the rampaging coup plotters.
The coup was eventually quashed but the scar was deep and indelible. The Turkish Government has since embarked on extensive purges. In the last five years, over 10,000 education staff were suspended and the licenses of over 20,000 teachers working at private institutions were revoked for alleged links to Gülen even though the U.S.-based cleric has denied any involvement in the coup and condemned it. Turkey has arrested nearly 40,000 people and dismissed some 110,000 public servants since the coup attempt.
Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Hidayet Bayraktar, in his remarks in July during the ceremony to mark the fifth anniversary of the coup in Abuja, in the presence of Nigeria’s Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Musa Bello and members of the Diplomatic Corps, said: “The perpetrators of the hideous undertaking actually consisted of the disciples of Fetullah Gulen, whose aim is to take control of the Turkish State to reinstitute it according to their perverted religious ethos.”
He warned Nigeria and other countries where Gulen may have opened institutions and businesses to be wary of the Gulen Movement, describing FETO “as a mafia-like cultish terror group, with clandestine political aims.”
He added that FETO “is a threat not only to Turkey but also to all countries where they still run their operations. Their actions in Turkey should be considered as a wake-up call for other countries.”
The warning from the Turkish envoy in the face of lingering war against Boko Haram insurgents and bandits was reechoed by the Turkish President yesterday.
REACTING to the Turkish President’s statement, a criminologist, Albert Uba, said: “The visit of Edorgan and revelation that the dreaded FETO had infiltrated the country like it did to India and other countries can be viewed from two perspectives. First, it underpins the porosity of our borders and the inertia with which the issue of the exacerbating insecurity is being handled. Secondly, it sadly underscores the fact that the country is sitting precariously on a keg of gunpowder that can explode any time soon.”
According to former Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Mike Ejiofor, “this is a very serious allegation if I must call it allegation. Is Nigeria government aware of it? Fighting terrorism requires international cooperation. I am surprised if the Nigerian government is not aware there is FETO in Nigeria.”
Security expert, Christopher Oji, said: “The meeting is one of the best things that had happened in Nigeria lately. It shows that our President has been warned and to be forewarned is to be forearmed. The FG seems to be sympathetic to terrorists.
“With the arrival of FETO combined with active presence of ISWAP, Boko Haram and bandits, the burden will be too much for our soldiers currently fighting armies of agitators. It is my advice that the FG should sit tight and stop paying lip service to issues of security. Let President Buhari, as a matter of urgency, seek foreign assistance or Nigeria will soon be captured by terrorists.”
MEANWHILE, the Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, has asked the Federal Government to declare bandits in the Northwest geo-political zone of the country as “insurgents” or “terrorists”. The declaration, the governor said, would enable the Nigerian military to attack and kill “these bandits without any major consequences in the international law.”
The governor, who spoke shortly after receiving the third quarter security report from the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna, yesterday, also said the recruitment of 1,000 youths each across the 774 local government areas of the country would deal a deadly blow to bandits and other criminal elements in the land.
Backing the National Assembly’s resolution to declare bandits as terrorists, the governor said the state government had since 2017 written to the federal government on that, pointing out that “bandits don’t deserve mercy and they should not be allowed to live.
“We in the Kaduna State government had always urged for the declaration of bandits as insurgents and terrorists. We have written letters to the Federal Government since 2017 asking for this declaration because it is this declaration that will allow the Nigerian military to attack and kill these bandits without any major consequences in the international law.
“So, we support the resolution by the National Assembly and we are going to follow up with a letter of support for the federal government to declare these bandits and insurgents as terrorists, so that, there will be fair game for our military,” the governor added.
The Commissioner had earlier in his report, said bandits killed no fewer than 343 and abducted 830 persons as well as injured 210 persons among them women and minors within the third quarter of the year in the state.
He said: “the operations against the bandits that began in this last quarter are degrading bandits, but are not yet simultaneous across all the affected states in the North-West region. That explains the limitations that our personnel and other resource deficits have imposed on federal security agencies.
“There are simply no enough boots on the ground to have credible deployment to most places, deter crime, and restore order. That is the reality that we face.
“Many state governments in the North-West and North-Central have adopted a non-conventional approach to help the security agencies to better protect our communities. In our own case, we have about 900 trained and vetted vigilantes personnel working with the security agencies.
“However, we still observed that there is no alternative to launching simultaneous operations in all states.”
A shade of darkness and a blush of shame conspicuously tarnish the visage of Sen. Ibikunle Amosun. For the two-time governor of Ogun State, ambition, clearly, is the grand enemy of all tact, the eternal adversary to his peace. Perhaps Amosun simply needs to get out of his own way.
Since he quit the State House as executive governor of Ogun State, the native of Owu has curiously committed his bulk and whittled repute to an ill-conceived popularity test with his successor in the State House at Oke Mosan, Governor Dapo Abiodun.
His recent attempt was at the party’s congress last Saturday and predictably, he suffered devastating defeat at all fronts.
The history of Sen. Amosun has been one continuous gaffe from one melee to the other. Like the proverbial maladroit, he failed to realise that his undoing was by dint of his own hands. His impotence won’t catch up with him until the very end.
At the heel of his previous infractions against his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Amosun has dribbled himself into yet another bind.
Interestingly, the immediate past governor of Ogun State and some of his aides have been fingered in the mayhem at the palace of Alake of Egbaland during a factional but fake APC Congress in the State, last Saturday.
According to the police statement, On October 16, 2021, while men of its SWAT team and other tactical units patrolled the town ,to monitor the legitimate party congress, an unregistered Hilux vehicle was sighted with suspicious characters inside it.
The occupants of the vehicle: Ibrahim Amoje ‘M’, Yusuf Azeez ‘M’, Olaide Sodiq ‘M’, Adewale Ogundele ‘M’, Femi Oke ‘M’, Balogun Olawale Dhikrullahi ‘M,’ on sighting policemen ahead, tried to conceal something in the vehicle. Suspecting foul play, the policemen stopped the vehicle and searched it thoroughly, discovering an English Berreta pistol with breach no PT 92 AFS, with five live ammunition. One locally fabricated revolver pistol was also recovered in the vehicle.
Security sources revealed that during interrogation, one of the suspects claimed that Amosun’s former aide, Mikky Kazeem, an ex-member of the House of Representatives, was their major sponsor. He claimed Kazeem provided them with the Beretta pistol. Subsequently, a warrant has since been issued for the arrest of Kazeem.
The police had, on Monday, paraded about six thugs suspected to be loyalists of the former governor.
Worried by the situation, the Amosun camp had been trying to secure the suspects release. Amosun’s uncle, Alhaji Okewole, had been identified as one of the troublemakers in the state, allegedly mobilized resources to secure the release of the hoodlums from police custody.
Findings show that the Hilux in which the suspects were driving before their arrest has been mysteriously disappeared from where it was parked.
Senator Amosun, who technically pulled out from the APC in 2019 to the Allied people’s Movement (APM), after he failed to secure the party’s ticket for his protege, Adekunle Akinlade, hasn’t come to terms with the misfortune of his loss at the last general elections, as his candidate was trounced by the incumbent governor of the state, Prince Dapo Abiodun, at the poll proper.
Rather than exhibit sportsmanship since his monumental loss, he has been devising means to decimate the influence of the party in the state.
The controversial politician had always been making the headlines for the wrong reasons; in Oyo, a group within the state chapter of APC has accused Amosun of fueling crises in the state chapter of the party.
Amosun is said to be working to hijack the party’s structure in Oyo. The group, named the United Front (TUF), called on President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of the party to intervene and stop Amosun from causing more crises in the party.
“Amosun takes absolute delight in the fragmentation of Oyo APC for the purpose of extending the web of schism he established in Ogun APC to other parts of the South-West.
His divisive ego-trip in Oyo State can be traced to the build-up to the 2019 elections when he extensively bankrolled Unity Forum to tear the fabrics of the party’s wholeness apart – a move that triggered the inevitable lacklustre performance of the party in the gubernatorial polls,” the group stated this in a statement made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Sunday.
As Amosun writhes in throes of his recent catastrophic defeat, will he be able to rid himself of every link with the suspects and complicity in the mayhem at Ake Palace grounds?
Who knows, his risible cap may yet tower atop his ego, again? Until then, it will remain at its current height: cut to size.
