A number of All Progressives Congress (APC) state chairmen, Friday night, asked the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, to resign.
They made their demand hours after President Muhammadu Buhari chaired the National Caucus Meeting of the party attended by Oshiomhole, governors, among other stalwarts.
Addressing journalists after what they called an inconclusive APC NEC meeting, the members said Oshiomhole should leave office, insisting that his leadership had divided the party.
Lawal Lawani, spokesman of the aggrieved chieftains and Chairman of Zamfara APC chapter, alleged that Oshiomhole had hijacked the NEC of the party,
Other aggrieved APC chairmen, who endorsed the statement, are: Arc. Bala Kangiwa (Kebbi), Habibi Sara (Jigawa), Ade Adetimeli (Ondo), Abdullahi Abbas (Kano), Abba Yaro (Benue), Omotosin Paul (Ekiti), Mohammed Jibril Iman, (Niger), Anslem Ojezua (Edo), Philips Shekwo (Nasarawa) Rtd Air Com Ikeda (Kaduna) Lakep Dabah (Plateau) Shitu Shitu (Katsina) Isah Sadiq (Sokoto).
A statement Lawani read noted: “Most of the goodwill acquired by the Party, by reasons of its religious adherence to the provisions of its Constitution and the tenets of internal democratic practices has taken a downturn, principally due to dictatorial and despotic tendencies of the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who has usurped the powers of the National Executive Committee of the party.
“This may have been responsible for the admonition of Mr President who insisted that the Party Organs, at the State, LGA and Ward levels, must be strengthened and accorded due respect with regard to the powers and responsibilities conferred on them by the Constitution of the Party.
“Most, unfortunately, the facade conducted by the National Chairman, today, the 22nd of November, 2019, as a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, leaves much to be desired.
“He completely ignored Mr President advice and rather defied all known rules for meetings by precluding contributions from members and ending the meeting abruptly, without achieving anything. This is most unfortunate and undesirable.
“Arising from the foregoing and having regards to the huge responsibilities bestowed on us as officers of the party and in the overriding interest of our members, we’re left with no option but to demand that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole resigns his position as National Chairman, in other to stem the slide and provide an enabling environment for genuine healing, reconciliation and practice of true democracy within the party across the country”.
The Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema has been indicted by the United States Department of Justice for bank fraud and money laundering.
Onyema was accused of moving more than $20 million from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of airplanes.
The US Department of Justice announced this in a press release issued on Friday, November 22, 2019.
Onyema was charged alongside his airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha,
“Onyema allegedly leveraged his status as a prominent business leader and airline executive while using falsified documents to commit fraud,” U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak was quoted in the statement.
“We will diligently protect the integrity our banking system from being corrupted by criminals, even when they disguise themselves in a cloak of international business.”
Commenting on the allegation, Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division says, “Allen Onyema’s status as a wealthy businessman turned out to be a fraud. He corrupted the U.S. banking system, but his trail of deceit and trickery came to a skidding halt. DEA would like to thank the many law enforcement partners and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office who aided in making this investigation a success.”
Also commenting on the indictment, an investigation agent in charge of the Atlanta Field Office, Thomas J. Holloman says, “This case is a prime example of why IRS-CI seeks to partner and leverage its expertise in an effort to thwart those seeking to exploit our nation’s financial system.
“With the importance of our banking system to the movement of money around the world, those attempting to use intricate schemes to commit bank fraud through the use of falsified documents and other means should know that the odds are now heavily stacked against them as law enforcement is combining its talents to protect the sanctity and integrity of the nation’s financial system.”
Another investigation agent, Robert Hammer was quoted to have accused Onyema of setting up various innocent sounding multi-million dollar asset purchases which were nothing more than alleged fronts for his scam.
On Tuesday, November 19, 2019, the Department charged the 56-yr-old businessman on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit credit application fraud, and three counts of credit application fraud.
He was also charged with 27 counts of money laundering, and Eghagha was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft.
How Onyema allegedly started defrauding US banks
The US Department of Justice traced the fraud allegations against the founder of Air Peace airline to 2010 when he started travelling frequently to Atlanta, where he opened several personal and business bank accounts.
The US authorities say that between 2010 and 2018, over $44.9 million was allegedly transferred into his Atlanta-based accounts from foreign sources. Three years after, Onyema founded Air Peace airline in 2013.
The 56-yr-old businessman allegedly traveled to the United States and purchased multiple airplanes for the airline after founding his airline business.
It is believed that over $3 million of the funds used to purchase the aircraft allegedly came from bank accounts for Foundation for Ethnic Harmony, International Center for Non-Violence and Peace Development, All-Time Peace Media Communications Limited, and Every Child Limited.
In May 2016, Onyema and his airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by the businessman.
The US department of Justice says, “The letters of credit were purportedly to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace. The letters were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals proving that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia”.
According to the US authorities, the supporting documents were fake. It was alleged that Springfield Aviation Company LLC, which is owned by Onyema and managed by a person with no connection to the aviation business, never owned the aircraft, and the company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist.
The statement by the Department says that “Eghagha allegedly participated in this scheme as well, directing the Springfield Aviation manager to sign and send false documents to banks and even using the manager’s identity to further the fraud. After Onyema received the money in the United States, he allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts”.
However, the US government in its statement said that Onyema and Eghagha are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
I’m from Ekiti State. Ekiti does not have the best of roads, but having to pass through core Ogun State some weeks ago, I saw first hand the ‘torment’ and unplanned delay bad roads across Ogun State force on the residents of the state. Ekiti is better; albeit, with roads.
I had travelled planned to have a direct single-bus journey from Ondo State to Lagos State. Getting to Ibadan, my friend called and advised I follow a shorter route to Ikorodu from Ibadan, avoiding the heavy traffic Lagos always present. Maybe I should have declined; but, if I had, I wouldn’t have experienced the hardship people face on Ogun roads. I needed to face it to lend my voice; who knows, I may be heard.
Prior to that time, I don’t recall actually going to Ogun State, save Redemption Camp. And, I sincerely don’t think Redemption Camp can be said to be the responsibility of the state. The church handles everything on the camp. Aside that, I just follow Ibadan, through Ogun in transit, and direct to Lagos. I’ve had nothing to do at Ogun State.
The journey started at about few minutes to 5pm. I got home (at Ikorodu) around 11pm. Even following Ojota, with all the traffic, wouldn’t have been that late. Anyway, it was worth it as it opened my eyes to the backwardness of the state when it comes to good roads, despite being the most industrialized state in the South-West geopolitical zone.
It will shock you to know the same state has produced all of Nigeria’s Presidents and Vice-Presidents from the South West. Yes, all. The state even had an Engineer-Governor in Otunba Gbenga Daniel; yet, they have the worst road-network in the South-West.
Olusegun Obasanjo was military Head of State from 1976-1979 and was civilian President from 1999-2007. Ernest Shonekan was leader of the National Government (before he was toppled by General Sani Abacha) for 83 days in 1993. For the Vice-Presidents: Babafemi Ogundipe (January 1966-July 1966), Olusegun Obasanjo (1975-1975), Oladipo Diya (1993-1997), and Yemi Osinbajo (2015-date). MKO Abiola is somehow said to be Vice to Shonekan (that, I can’t confirm). That’s all from the South-West in the Presidency and all are from Ogun State. Tunde Idiagbon, though Yoruba, is from Kwara State. Kwara State is the North Central geopolitical zone.
To think the state had all of these leaders as indigenes and still have that much bad roads calls for concern. I was (un)fortunate to have followed Sagamu through to Ikorodu, but that road is an eyesore, especially when it rains.
I heard an unconfirmed story about how former President Olusegun Obasanjo saddled then Minister for Works, Adeseye Ogunlewe, with the task of completing Federal roads across the state. How the money meant for the road construction was diverted to other means is a story I can’t tell (since I can’t confirm it). If it’s true, Obasanjo could have held him accountable and brought him to book. Obasanjo Farms has good roads; couldn’t the ‘magic’ done on that ground be done across the state? But, of course, he isn’t really affected.
It is a big shame on the state. Even Obafemi Awolowo is from Ikenne in Ogun State. The Vice-President, although claiming Lagos, will do well to do something about the roads in his state. Dapo Abiodun just started his tenure and could do well to look into that. Prosperity is around the corner.
The Senate on Tuesday passed the bill for an Act to make provisions for the protection from internet falsehood and manipulations and related matters, for a second reading.
It is opularly known as anti-Social media bill, sponsored by the Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District, Sani Musa.
Only Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, a former governor of Enugu State, spoke against the bill while Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah raised a constitutional point of order to caution the red chamber against its passage.
However, Senators Ibrahim Gobir, Elisha Abbo, and Abba Moro supported the bill in their various contributions during the debate that lasted about 10 minutes.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, put the passage of the bill for a second reading to a voice vote after confirming that no senator was ready to speak against it.
The majority of the lawmakers in the chamber unanimously voted in support of the bill and it was read the second time.
A former chairman, Senate Committee of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Dino Melaye, on Wednesday protested at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja where he demanded cancellation of the Kogi West Senatorial election.
The flamboyant Senator was received by INEC Secretary, Rose Orianran-Anthony and National Commissioner/Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.
Melaye who came with 21 video clips containing details of violence and indiscriminate shootings by alleged agents of Kogi State government told journalists that his determination to retrieve the stolen mandate “is a battle of no retreat, no surrender.”
The petition by Melaye dated November 18 2019 and entitled: “A call for cancellation of the Election for Kogi West Senatorial District held on November 16 2019 in certain areas”, was filed by his lawyer, Tobechukwu Nweke.
Part of the petition reads, “In conclusion, sequel to the abovementioned spread violence, gunshots and killings, disruption of the election, snatching of ballots, multiple thumb printing, several electoral malpractices, irregularities and total sabotage of the electoral process cut across all the seven Local Government Areas in Kogi State which were demonstrated in the video footages attached herein, and the facts in paragraphs 1-5 above which reveals that the election was not conducted in Kogi State Senatorial District, in substantial compliance with the dictates of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) as well as the requisite Guidelines and Regulations issued for the election we urge the commission to cancel the entire election to the Senate of Kogi West Senatorial District held on November 16 2019.”
Okoye who received the petition on behalf of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission would look into the petition and take necessary action.
The Kogi State Governor-Elect, Yahaya Bello, has insisted that the just concluded election in his state was free, fair and credible.
Bello said there was a level playing field for all political actors during the just concluded election in the state.
Featuring on Channels Television breakfast programme, Sunrise Today, the governor-elect said despite the “pocket’ of violence experienced, the election was free and fair.
He said: “The conduct of the election was quite very credible, a level-playing field was provided and it was free and fair. In every election, there is bound to be one issue or the other and you can’t take a pocket of issues to judge the general conduct of the election.
“Regarding the comment of the civil society organisation, they are entitled to their own opinion but let us know the parameters with which they are judging this election.
“How many polling units did they visit out of 2,548 polling units, 239 wards and 21 local governments across the difficult terrains of this state? How many people have they reached out to?
“Have they interviewed all the electorates? So what are their yardsticks.?” The governor queried.
The Kogi State election was marred with violence, ballot box snatching, and killings.
Reports had it that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, women leader was burnt alive immediately results of the governorship election was announced.
Despite the violence, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had on Monday declared Bello of the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the governorship election in the state.
INEC’s Returning Officer in the state, Prof. Ibrahim Garuba had declared Bello winner after polling 406,222 votes to defeat his closest rival, Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who scored 189,704 votes.
Jose Mourinho has been appointed Tottenham manager after the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino on Tuesday.
Former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Mourinho has signed a contract until the end of the 2022-23 season.
“The quality in both the squad and the academy excites me,” said the 56-year-old Portuguese. “Working with these players is what has attracted me.”
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: “In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football.”
Tottenham reached the Champions League final last season under Pochettino, but lost 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid.
The Argentine, who was appointed in May 2014, did not win a trophy in his time in charge of the north London club, with Spurs’ last silverware being the League Cup in 2008.
Levy added: “He [Mourinho] has a wealth of experience, can inspire teams and is a great tactician.
“He has won honours at every club he has coached. We believe he will bring energy and belief to the dressing room.”
Mourinho still has a home in London and won three Premier League titles – in 2005, 2006 and 2015 – as well as one FA Cup in two spells at Chelsea.
Having taken over at Manchester United in May 2016, he won the Europa League and Carabao Cup with them in 2017.
Mourinho was sacked by the Old Trafford club in December 2018, with the club 19 points behind league leaders Liverpool at the time, and had not managed another side before joining Spurs.
He has also previously managed Portuguese side Porto, where he won the Champions League in 2004.
At Italian club Inter Milan, Mourinho won a league, cup and Champions League treble in 2010 and was named Fifa’s world coach of the year, while he led Spanish team Real Madrid to the La Liga title in 2012.
He takes over a Spurs side that are without a win in their past five games and have slipped to 14th in the Premier League, 20 points behind leaders Liverpool after just 12 matches.
The Portuguese’s first match in charge is a trip to West Ham United on Saturday (12:30 GMT kick-off).
Mourinho has turned down a number of managerial opportunities, including in China, Spain and Portugal, since leaving Old Trafford.
A video has surfaced online showing two Babcock students having sex in their school clinic without protection on.
The video has since caused a stir online and is now trending as many have since began to share their thoughts on the video.
Read Also: Shocking! 72-Year-old Cleric Arrested For Impregnating, Killing And Burying A Babcock University Ex-student
The video saw both students aware engaging in the sexual act without protection on and just the girl in it deciding on giving the young man orals just at the end, a move that many have since began to clown on social media.
A convicted Internet fraudster, Hope Aroke, who is serving a 24-year jail term in the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre in Lagos, has allegedly masterminded a $1m scam while in custody.
The convict, who is the subject of an investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, reportedly organised the scam using a network of accomplices.
Hope was one of two Malaysia-based Nigerian undergraduate fraudsters arrested by the EFCC in 2012 at the 1004 Housing Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos, following a tip-off.
The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday that the lid on his latest fraud exploits from the correctional facility was blown open following intelligence received by the anti-graft agency.
According to the EFCC, preliminary investigation revealed that the convict, against the established standard practice, had access to the Internet and mobile phone in the centre.
The statement said, “Even more puzzling was the finding that Hope got himself admitted to the Nigeria Police Hospital, Falomo, Lagos, for an undisclosed ailment. And from the hospital, he would move out to lodge in hotels, meet with his wife and two children, and attend other social functions.
“The circumstances of his admission to the hospital and those who aided his movement from the hospital to hotels and other social engagements are already being investigated by the EFCC.”
Investigation by the anti-graft agency also revealed that Hope used a fictitious name, Akinwunmi Sorinmade, to open two accounts with First Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.
He also allegedly bought a property at the Fountain Spring Estate, Lekki, Lagos, in 2018 for N22m, and a Lexus RX 350 2018 model registered in his wife’s name, Maria Aroke.
The convict was also in possession of his wife’s bank account token while in prison, which he used to freely transfer funds.
The commission said further investigation revealed that while his trial was ongoing in 2015, Hope bought a four-bedroom duplex on Plot 12, Deji Fadoju Street, Megamounds Estate, Lekki County Homes, Lekki for N48m
During his arrest, the Okene, Kogi State indigene, had claimed to be a student of Computer Science at the Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University, Malaysia, but the commission’s investigation fingered him as the arrowhead of an intricate web of Internet fraud scheme that traversed two continents.
The statement read in part, “When Hope was arrested, a search conducted by the EFCC operatives on his apartment led to the recovery of several items such as laptops, iPad, travelling documents, cheque books, flash drives, Internet modem and three exotic cars – a Mercedes Benz SUV, a 4Matic Mercedes Benz car and a Range Rover SUV.
“He was eventually convicted by Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos State High Court on two counts of obtaining money by false pretences, cheque-cloning, wire transfer and forgery. He was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment on each of the two counts.”
An assailant has stabbed to death the son of former German president Richard von Weizsaecker in attack at a Berlin hospital that left one other person seriously injured, police said Wednesday.
The motive for the attack on Fritz von Weizsaecker, 59, on Tuesday evening was unclear.
Von Weizsaecker, a doctor, had just delivered a lecture on liver diseases at the Schlosspark hospital in the western Berlin neighbourhood of Charlottenburg when he was stabbed, a police spokesman said.
He died at the scene despite efforts to save him.
The suspect was overpowered by other people present, one of whom was severely injured by the attacker.
Police opened an investigation and were expected to release information about the assailant and the possible motive.
Chief of the liberal FDP party, Christian Lindner, voiced his grief about his friend on Twitter, saying that “once again we ask ourselves what sort of world are we living in.”
He was married with four children.
His father, Richard von Weizsaecker, was considered one of Germany’s great post-war political figures.
The elder Weizsaecker was president of West Germany from 1984 to 1990 and then held the same position in united Germany from 1990 to 1994.
He was previously a deputy in the lower house of parliament for the CDU now led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, and mayor of West Berlin.
