UNIPORT students block East/West road in protest of slain colleagues

 Hundreds of students of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) on Tuesday went on rampage blocking the busy East/West road and the Choba/Rumuokwuta road in protest of the gruesome murder of four of their colleagues last Friday.

The students, who defied appeals by the University’s authorities, made good their threat to protest the killing of their colleagues, who were beaten to death and set ablaze by the vigilance group from the Aluu community for alleged robbery.

The protest caused vehicular traffic jam on the road, forcing passengers to trek to their various destinations.The students carrying placards and photos of their slain colleagues, called for justice.

And if justice was denied, they vowed to retaliate the killing of their colleagues.Armed policemen and soldiers were drafted to the scene to maintain law and order and Channels Television’s correspondent reported sporadic gunshots and the shooting of tear gas by the security operatives, who attempted to disperse the students.

The protesting students were reportedly marching to the office of the governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi but were stopped by the police.Frightened students were also spotted attempting to vacate their hostels but were sent back by policemen.

The students had earlier been told to remain calm and allow security agencies perform their duties.The university also ordered that the national flag be flown at half-staff and suspended the students’ union week that was to start today.The identities of the students have been made public by UNIPORT authorities.

 They are: Biringa Chiadika Lordson, a second-year Theatre Arts student, with Matriculation Number U2010/1805036, Ugonna Kelechi Obuzor, also a year two Geology student with Matriculation Number U2010/5565149 and Mike Lloyd Toku, year two Civil Engineering student with Matriculation Number U2010/3010094.

The fourth person, Tekena Erikena, was yet to be identified as a student of the University of Port Harcourt, but information had it that he was a student of School of Basic Studies.

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Bullet in baby hit in Maiduguri yet to be removed, 49 days after

 The stray bullet which hit 15 months old baby, Shuaibu Mahmud, in Maiduguri on Sallah day is yet to be removed, Today's gist has learnt. 

The father of the boy, Mallam Mahmud was told by doctors at the Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, where he was referred to that the bullet cannot be removed now so as not to damage his brain.

“We were told to bring him back by December because the bullet penetrated through his skull and could damage his brain and eyes”, he said.Narrating how the incident occurred, he said, “My son was playing with other children in my in law’s house at federal low cost housing estate on Sallah when suddenly he fell down and blood started coming from out from his head.

 Initially, we did not know that it was a bullet that hit him, until he was taken to hospital, and an x-ray was carried out and the bullet was discovered”.

Mahmud lamented that his son is no longer as agile as he used to be.

“He can no longer stand on his own without support. I am afraid that the bullet might affect his brain”, he said.

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Lagos govt arrest 33 for hanging and sitting atop moving trains

 The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit in collaboration with the Railway Police Command have arrested 33 people for hanging and sitting atop moving trains operated by the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC). 

The 33 passengers aged between 18 and 52 years were arrested at the Ikeja and Agege Railway Stations.Speaking on the arrest, Chairman of the Task Force,  Bayo Sulaiman said it was alarming and worrisome to see people sit atop moving trains.

He said following investigations by his men,  it was  revealed that most people involved were  touts and miscreants.He said the state government would not fold its arms and allow this act to continue.

Also speaking, the District Manager, Lagos District of the NRC,  Mr. Paul Ndibe  decried the act, saying riding atop a fast moving train was suicidal.

“We have warned passengers to desist from such act. We told them know the implication, advised that whenever there is no space for them to sit inside the train, they should not go with the train. Times without number, we have sent our workers to sensitize them about the dangers associated with hanging on the door-mouth or sitting on top of a fast moving train, but they have refused to take to our advice, hence the arrest,” he said.

He said the arrest of the 33 passengers is not aimed to witch hunt anyone, but aimed at putting a stop to the act.

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Flood displaced 53,000 residents in 11 communities in Delta

NO fewer than 53,000 residents of 11 communities in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State, have been rendered homeless following the flooding of their homes as a result of the overflow of the River Niger. Their farmlands were also submerged. 

Ivrogbor, Umeh, Uzere, Ehwen, Edherie and Igbide, in Isoko South Local Government Area of the state had also been submerged by the flood, rendering over 1,000 homeless. Motorists plying the East-West Road were, weekend, stranded at Umeh Junction of the road, which was submerged by the flood.

Our correspondent who visited the area, yesterday, noted that Patani, Abare, Torou-Angiama, Aven, Koloware, Ogor, Adobor, Bulu-Angiama, Uduophori, Ogolomo and Amatebe with a population of over 60,000 were being deserted. Odorubu and Ebresegha were the only two communities spared out of the 13 communities in Patani Council.

Most mud houses and some brick structures in the affected communities were destroyed. Transporters plying the Patani/Ughelli route had a field day as they hiked transport fare from Patani to Ughelli. Farmers were seen with their families in canoes harvesting their premature farm produce.

Former Delta State Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Mr. Raymos Guanah, whose house in Patani was also submerged, expressed worry, lamenting that the entire council had been submerged save for two communities.

Guanah at the palace of the Pere of Kabowei Kingdom, HRH L. M. Erebulu, said he, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, Mr. Brave Enode, and Mr. Dogubo Mologe, whose houses were also submerged, had built a temporary camp at the Patani/Uzere Road that is still under construction, to accommodate displaced persons.

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Bomb kills woman, injures other in northern Nigeria

A bomb explosion near a state-owned National Television Authority (NTA) station in a northern Nigerian state has killed a woman and injured five children.

Spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, Yushua Shuaib said the overnight bomb blast occurred in Jalingo town in Taraba state.

He said a similar blast in the town had killed one person and left 14 others wounded on Thursday. 

Though no group has claimed responsibility, the only terrorist group that has been carrying out such bombing campaigns in the country is the Islamic sect known as Boko Haram.

The group wants an Islamic state in Nigeria's mostly Muslim north. More than 1,000 people have been killed in the north and capital city of Abuja since the sect started bombing and shooting at people in public places since 2009.

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EFCC arraigns 13 new marketers over N4.6bn subsidy fraud

 The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday arraigned 13 new oil marketers at a Lagos High Court, Ikeja for fuel subsidy fraud in the sum of N4.6 billion.

The EFCC alleged that they obtained the money by false pretence and using fake documents.

Ten of the oil marketers, made up of six persons and four companies, were arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru while the remaining three, made up of two individuals and one company, were arraigned before Justice Lateefa Okunnnu.

The six indicted oil marketers and their four companies were arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru on an eight- count charge.The charges bordered on “conspiracy to obtain by false pretence, obtaining by false pretence, conspiracy to forge documents and uttering false documents.”

The EFCC alleged that the marketers and their companies had conspired to and also obtain huge sums of money from the Federal Government of Nigeria, purpoting the sums to be payments for subsidy under the Petrol Support Fund for the purported importation of premium motor spirit from Europe to Nigeria.

Those arraigned before Justice Abiru were Anosyke Group of Companies Ltd; Ifeanyi Anosike; Dell Energy Ltd; Emeka Chukwu; Ngozi Ekeoma; Downstream Energy Sources Ltd; Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Maula; Rocky Energy Ltd; George Ogbonna and one Emmanuel.

According to the charge sheets, Anosyke Group of Companies, Ifeanyi Anosike, Dell Energy Limited, Emeka Chukwu and Ngozi Ekeoma were arraigned on an eight count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain by false pretence, forgery and uttering false documents to the tune of N1,537,278,880.82, being payments fraudulently received from the Petroleum Support Fund for purported supply of 15, 000 metric tonnes of premium motor spirit.

On the other hand, the commission arraigned Downstream Energy Sources Limited, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Maula, Rocky Energy Limited, George Ogbonna and Emmanuel Morah on an eight count charge also bordering on conspiracy to obtain property by false pretence, conspiracy to forge documents, forgery and uttering false documents to the tune of N789,648,329.25, being payments fraudulently received from the Petroleum Support Fund for a purported supply of 14,273,0227 litres of premium motor spirit.

The EFCC claimed that all the defendants at various times forged different bills of laden for premium motor spirit not supplied all in a bid to claim the Federal Government’s subsidy on fuel.

The 10 accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and their counsel applied for a date for hearing of bail application for them.

They also prayed the court to order that the defendants be remanded in EFCC custody as against prison custody.

Justice Abiru granted the request of the defendants as he ordered that they be remanded in EFCC custody.

He thereafter adjourned the matter till October 19, 2012 for hearing of their bail applications.

Eight oil companies and marketers were initially billed to appear before justice Lateefa Okunnu on Friday but the EFCC was only able to arraign only three marketers.

The three marketers arraigned before Justice Okunnu were made up of a company, ASB Investment Limited, and two persons, Aro Samuel Bamidele and Abiodun Kayode Bankole.

The three defendants and others yet to face trial were arraigned on an 18-count charge bordering on uttering, obtaining and falsifying documents to the tune of N2,326,927,210.07.

The three defendants who took their pleas before Justice Okunnu pleaded not guilty and the court fixed bail hearing for October 9, 2012 with an order that the defendants be remanded in EFCC custody.

Among the five persons and companies that were absent in court on Friday were Abdulahi Alao, the son of Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Arisekola Alao.

Abdullahi Alao and his company, Axenergy Nigeria Limited, will be appearing for the third time for offences bordering on fuel subsidy fraud since the fuel subsidy trials commenced.

In the current charge, Abdullahi was again alleged to have obtained under false pretence as well as forged bills of laden and other relevant importation documents to perpetrate fraud.

Trial in the matter involving Abdullahi Alao and four others will commence on November 22, 2012 before Justice Okunnu.

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Your days are numbered, army chief tells terrorists

 The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, on Wednesday warned perpetrators of terrorist activities to have a rethink, warning that “nobody can bomb us into submission.”

Petinrin made this declaration at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Abuja during the presentation of entitlement cheques to the Next of Kins of the military personnel killed in action in 2012.

He said in any country there are those whose stock in trade is to constitute a nuisance and use acts of intimidation to get power.

He, however, urged Nigerians, especially families of those who died in the line of duty while defending the territorial integrity of the country, to be resolute as “the days of trouble makers are numbered.”

“We must be resolute, not only we in the armed forces but our families and children must be as resolute as we are,” he said.

The CDS advised those harbouring ambitions of ruling the country to do so through the proper channels rather than through the back-door of violence.

“Nobody will bomb us into submission or kill us into submission. If you want to rule people you don’t rule them by killing, you rule them by appealing to them, by forming your party, and by running elections,” he said.

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INEC is broke,can't pay salary - jega

 Its sounds rather unbelievable but its the truth that INEC- the Independent National Electoral Commission is broke and might not be able to pay its staffs in few months to come.

In a statement made by the commission boss on Wednesday in Abuja, he told the visiting members of the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, led by its chairman, Mr. Jerry Manwe, that it was broke and might not be able to pay staff salaries, as from next month.

He therefore called on the legislators to quickly intervene and save the situation to avoid frustrating the commission’s aspiration of conducting the 2015 general elections in line with international best practices.

It would be recalled that, Ondo state gubernatorial election is just 16 days from now, it won’t be ideal for politicians to start ‘paying’ the salaries of the INEC staffs.

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EFCC blames cash based economy for crime and terrorism in Nigeria

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Sunday in Abuja, blamed the nation’s vulnerability to fraud, terrorism and crime on its operation of a cash-based economy. Speaking in an interview , the Secretary to the commission, Mr. Emmanuel Akomaye, said that the ease of cash flow occasioned by the cash-based economy made the nation so vulnerable.

He said that because of the cash-based economy, it was very difficult to track money as people carried huge sums of money in cash and did whatever business they liked without being tracked.

Akomaye said that if huge transactions were made to go through the financial institutions, they could be easily tracked and as such the nation’s vulnerability to such crimes would be reduced.

We are really highly vulnerable and one of the key reasons is this; we are a cash-based economy and that entails that it is difficult to track money.Elsewhere, every transaction goes through a financial institution; you can hardly go to some countries and bring out 5000 dollars to make a transaction. 

 

It necessarily would pass through a financial institution, but here because we are substantially cash-based, it therefore means that it’s a huge challenge to track money as you well know that we carry huge cash here and it’s becoming a challenge.Even the terror problem that we currently have in the country, one of the challenges is to determine: how are these people funded? Some of the operations are very sophisticated. 

 

You can conjecture that the level of their sophistication and operation necessarily means that they are properly funded. I mean it’s not a poor man that drives a jeep of N5 million and blows it up.Definitely that is not a poor man, even if the suicide bomber is a poor man, the person who funded him must be a rich man and these funding comes in very complex and complicated variance. 

 

It could be trade-based; sometimes the money is meant for legitimate things, but it ends up in criminal activity.So to the extent that we are operating a cash-based economy and monies move so freely in cash in huge sums, it’s a challenge.’’

Akomaye also said that the ease of cash flow had also made the nation vulnerable to drugs trafficking in the sense that drugs could pass through the country and payments made in cash as no one could easily track such cash payments.
He said that such vulnerability had also exposed the Nigerian population to illicit drugs saying that although Nigeria was a trans-shipment nation, some of the drugs still stayed back and were consumed locally.

``You also know that we have become a very significant trans-shipment route for drug trafficking and any country with that type of situation means that laundering activities will necessarily take place.

``Because when the drugs pass through here, it means that there is a syndicate either sitting locally or elsewhere that is networking with those who are doing the trans-shipment.
``Of course we cannot run away from the fact that even as we are still largely a trans-shipment point, some of it remains and when it remains, it is consumed by Nigerians.’’

Akomaye said that because the syndicates that ran drugs business could afford to do business with huge cash, they invested the dirty cash in some other legitimate businesses where it could no longer be connected to drugs.

``People who are involved in that trade try to make that business legitimate because the proceeds from the drugs are invested into businesses that look legitimate to make sure that it is clean.

``That is the whole process of laundering; to make dirty money look clean. We are highly vulnerable and again you know that our border points are so porous; we have a very large border line

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