Daily Times Nigeria Tuesday, May 10, 2016
N2.6b fraud: Court adjourns arraignment of 16 bank chiefs Peter Fowoyo
ÏÏÏ The
arraignment of 16 bank staffs charged with N2.6 billion fraud has been fixed by a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos. The case, which was fixed for arraignment of the accused was on Monday, adjourned to July 4, following an information from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. The accused are: Nigeria International Bank Ltd, Chief C. S. Sankey, Adekunle Oladosun, Okechi Egwu, Lulu Ndubuka, Oyowole Ariyo. Kabiru Bello, and J.E Eriagbon. Others are: Samson Ebie, Steve Obodomechine, Mikky Dons Nig. Ltd, Mark Anaele, Peter Harris, Peter Oriade, Olusola Fagbure and Obianwa Chuba. They were charged on 20 counts bordering on conspiracy, intent to defraud, falsification of document, fraudulent alteration and diversion of over N2. 6 billion belonging to MicMerah International Agency Ltd. On Monday, the first accused represented by its staff, Mr. Ofodile Ojiako, was present in court. Other accused present were: Mark Anaele representing Mikky dons Ltd, Lulu Ndukuba and Olusola Fagbure. When the matter came up on Monday, the counsel from the office of the AGF, Mrs. Kehinde Bode-Ayeni, informed the court of AGF’s withdrawal of the fiat given to the former prosecutor, Mr. Gordy Uche (SAN). She told the court that the AGF was yet to re-issue a fiat to another prosecuting counsel.
Dogara seeks development framework for North East
Henry omunu, Abuja
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The Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, on Monday, called for the formulation of an urgent framework to facilitate the reconstruction and development of the North East region ravaged by the activities of the Boko Haram sect. Dogara, who said this at a public hearing organised by the House on the North East Development Commission Bill, added that something concrete must be urgently done to harness the potentials of the North East as the region was presently at a crossroads. He said that the bill was being proposed to provide a legal framework that would address the overall development challenges facing
the North-East, including issues relating to the status of refugees, emergency management and boundary disputes resolution. “Our aspirations for the establishment of the commission are not far-fetched. Even though there is poverty across Nigeria, in comparative terms, the North East suffers an exceptional poverty amidst little opportunities to push itself out of the problem. “Our industries have almost collapsed, schools are dilapidated, destroyed or non-existent in most communities, roads are death traps and largely inaccessible and farming virtually comatose due to insurgency. “Besides, the region groans under the pangs of desertification, ethno-religious crisis, climatic factors, predatory diseases among others,” he added.
Lekan Shonde, the man who allegedly killed his wife at the Rapid Response Squad office in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos… on Monday.
The Speaker further said that the North East region lagged behind in all major indices of human development and had the highest illiteracy rate in Nigeria. “Data from the National Bureau of Statistics, as at 2008, show that more than 65 per cent of the people living in the North East are absolutely poor with less than one dollar income per day. “It is important to note that these statistics predate the consequences of insurgency in the last eight years and current economic down turn,” he stated. Dogara said that out of the estimated 2.2 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in various parts of the country, the North East accounts for close to 2 million of the Internally Displaced Persons, declaring “while about eight per cent are spread across 21 camps, 68 per cent are children, with 60,000 births so far recorded in the various camps. “The implication of this data is that households in the North East are over-stretched with the burden of the IDPs, leading to depletion of the little resources in the hands of our people. “This is compounded by the fact that farming, which is the main stay of the North East economy, can no longer sustain our people due to insecurity leading to more hardship on the region”. Chairman of the House Committee on IDPs, Refugees and North East Initiatives, Rep. Sani Zoro, speaking also at the hearing, described the bill as timely and important. He called on all stakeholders to join hands to bring life back to the North East region. Present at the public hearing were the wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, who was accompanied by wives of some state governors from the North East region, among other dignitaries.
Rights group drags FG to court over Nimbo massacre
Nkiru Nwagbo, Awka
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non-governmental organisation, Human Rights and Empowerment Projects Ltd, has taken the Federal Government to court over what it called a violation of the rights of those who died at the Nimbo massacre, in Uzo Uwani, Enugu State in the hands of Fulani herdsmen. President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Inspector
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General of Police were among the respondents in the matter, with suit number FHC/EN/ CS/59/2016, filed before the Federal High Court holden at Enugu. The suit, which was filed before Hon Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie by Barr. Francis Muoneke, who is counsel to the applicants is expected to be heard on May 16, 2016. Some of the reliefs sought by the group include: a declaration that the killing of innocent citizens in Nimbo amounted to vio-
lation of the right to life of those involved, and that the failure of the respondents to protect life and property amounted to a direct liability on the part of their part. The group also called on the respondents to identify all the victims of the attack for purposes of paying adequate compensation to their families. It further called on the court to compel the respondents to thoroughly investigate the killings with a view to apprehending and
prosecuting the culprits. The group stated that the failure of government to effectively discharge its duty in protecting life of citizens, made it necessary for all those who were involved to be adequately compensated. Muoneke told newsmen, on Monday, in Awka, that the right to life of innocent citizens killed by the herdsmen was grossly violated, and that the respondents were liable to pay the sum of N100billion as compensation to the families of the victims.
Ooni Ogunwusi
Ooni, Ife indigenes celebrate Osara festival Sodiq Adekunle, Osogbo
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The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), has led a multitude of Ife sons and daughters to the ancient shrine of the Osara deity, located at Moore Road, regarded as the ancestral home to the Yoruba for the annual celebration of Osara festival. The Ooni, who arrived the venue of cultural festival accompanied by his queen, Olori Wuraola Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), was received by the deity’s Chief Priest, Chief Isola Ogunwusi. Apart from the chief priest, and monarchs, excited crowd were there to witness the just resuscitated festival after a long period of neglect. During the event, the Ooni acknowledged Osara, the goddess of Lagoon, as a messenger of God, just like Olokun the goddess of Ocean sent by God alongside the other 400 spiritual beings (deities) to form the pre-genesis esoteric world called Ife Oodaye.
Over 5,000 members dump PDP in Niger Pita Chikwem, Minna
ÏÏÏJust one week after the Peo-
ples Democratic Party ( PDP) had its local government congress nation-wide, more than 5,000 members have dumped the party owing to discrepancies in Chanchaga LGA. Speaking on the level of favouritism and godfatherism experienced during the congress, the leader of the group, Dr. Jibrin Datti Balarabe said the process was manipulated by the party leadership to favour candidates of their choice and so the action. Balarebe disclosed this on Monday during a press briefing in Minna that the recent development in the party particularly master-minded by the LGA outgone Chairman, Shehu Aliyu Paiko, was capable of destroying the party both at local and state levels.