Ijebu violence: 15 bodies deposited in mortuary, community deserted

The bodies of about 15 victims of the communal violence in Ijebu Ife, Ogun State, may have been deposited in the mortuary of the state hospital in Ijebu Ode.

Although no official figure of casualties has been given, a competent security source, who did not want his name printed, told our correspondents that the number would not exceed 15.
An Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Omololu Oladokun, was burnt to death by aggrieved youths on Saturday.

The youths were said to have been protesting the alleged killing of a tailor by some members of the community’s vigilante group when a distress call was sent to Oladokun.

Sources claimed that the senior police officer arrived at the scene with some of his officers whom he later asked to go and purchase petrol. One of the sources said that while he was trying to calm the irate youths, he was lured to a corner where he was shot dead and his body set ablaze.

The security meeting, it was learnt, was said to be strategic in guiding the state government to fashion out steps to prevent the violence from escalating.

The meeting at the Government House, Abeokuta, was also attended by the Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria and Chairman, Remo North Local Government Area, Mr. John Obafemi, as well as the state ALGON Secretary and Chairman, Abeokuta North LGA, Mr. Abeeb Ajayi.
Others in attendance were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Alhaji Lamidi Odulawa, and the Chairman, Ijebu East LGA, Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye.

Our correspondents who visited Ijebu Ife on Sunday saw only few residents and domestic animals. One of the residents claimed that many people had fled for fear that policemen might carry out a reprisal attack on them over the death of Oladokun, who was the Area Commander, Ijebu Division.
Burnt vehicles and houses revealed the level of the violence which was sparked by the alleged killing of a tailor.

While riot and regular policemen barricaded entrances to the town, Armoured Personnel Carriers were also seen patrolling the town.

Daniel, who visited the town on Saturday, described the mayhem as unfortunate and called on the police to launch a full scale investigation into it.

He said, “These people must be brought to book. One wonders why some of these people would take the law into their hands. Even if they have grievances, are there no channels to resolve such grievances?”
He said that the slain Oladokun was a gallant officer, who did not deserve such a gruesome murder.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20091207458871

Police boss burnt to death in Ogun

Tragedy on Saturday hit the Ogun State police command when an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Omolodun Oladokun, was burnt to death by unknown assailants during a communal clash.

The incident which happened at Ijebu Ife, SUNDAY PUNCH gathered, also claimed the lives of four other persons when the police allegedly visited the community on a reprisal attack.

Oladokun, who was until his death the Area Commander, Ogere, Ijebu East local council area, our correspondent learnt, had gone to intervene in the community following the eruption of violence and the death, on Friday, of a tailor, who was allegedly manhandled by a vigilance group over a week ago.

A source told our correspondent on Saturday that the vigilance group was set up to complement the effort of the police following the increasing wave of armed robberies in the area.

The State Police Commissioner, Alhaji Hashimu Argungu, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone on Saturday, said Oladokun had responded to a distress call from the town as the youth took up arms against the security outfit to protest the death of the tailor.

Argungu added that the vigilance group allegedly clashed with the tailor, who was said to be working overnight in his shop.

The police commissioner said, “About nine days ago, the town‘s vigilance group met the tailor, working in his shop in the night. So, they told him to go home and come back the following morning to continue with his work but he refused. I believe they asked him to go because of the security situation in the town.
“Unfortunately, it led to a fight and the tailor was wounded. He, however, died yesterday (Friday) and the community now rose up against the members of the vigilante group.

“The Area Commander, however, went there to find out what was happening and ensure that peace was restored to the place. On his way, he was shot and burnt.”

Argungu added that the command had deplored more men to the community to forestall further breakdown of the peace in the area.

The explanation of the police boss, however, differed from an account by a member of the community, who claimed that the clash was between the youths and some riot policemen who had been keeping watch in the town for some time now.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20091206127393

Uncertainty still hovers around Yar’Adua’s health

There were palpable anxieties across the country on Saturday over the health of President Umaru Yar‘Adua who is currently receiving treatment at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for what his doctors named as acute pericarditis.
This was as fresh facts emerged that President Yar‘Adua abandoned the Horst Schmidt Klinik, Wiesbaden, Germany for the Saudi Hospital because the German hospital had asked him to resign from office in order to attend to his fragile health.
The president was said to have been prepared to heed the German hospital’s advice but that he later changed his mind when members of his kitchen cabinet asked him not to do so.
Those who persuaded the president was said to have prevailed on him to seek medical help from elsewhere, thus his change to the Jeddah hospital.
Meanwhile, throughout Saturday, the news desk of SUNDAY PUNCH received many frantic calls as anxious citizens sought to clarify speculations over the state of health of their president.
The anxiety by Nigerians persisted even as an online publication, Earth Times.org said a doctor at the Saudi hospital said on condition of anonymity that President Yar’Adua would be released “as early as next week.
“He was no longer in the intensive care wing of a Jeddah hospital and was undergoing routine medical tests,” the publication quoted the anonymous doctor to have said.
Checks by our correspondent, however, confirmed that Yar‘Adua was responding to treatment, though he was said to be in critical condition.
Efforts to receive assurances from the President‘s spokesman, Olusegun Adeniyi, did not succeed as calls to his mobile phone did not go through. Also, text message to his phone received no response.
Sources close to the President told our correspondent that visitors were barred from the private ward where he was receiving treatment under tight security.
”The man‘s health is stable but he is continuously placed on drip by doctors who are doing everything to rescue his life,” a source said.
Another source told our correspondent that the president would have taken a definite position on how to respond to advice to resign but for those whose continued relevance depends on the president‘s continued stay in power.
“The President is not power drunk as some people are thinking but those close to him who think they may lose their position if he resigns will not allow him,” the source added.
Before he became a patient of the Saudi hospital, President Yar‘Adua was said to have visited the HSK, based in the city of Wiesbaden, regularly since he was the governor of Katsina State.
As a president, Yar‘Adua‘s first visit to the German hospital was said to be in August 2008 when he was kept under observation for 11 days.
He, however, was said to have stopped patronising the HSK where he was being treated for Churg-Strauss syndrome because he was not willing to accept the advice by his doctors to relinquish power on health grounds.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200912062135295

Why they want Yar’Adua to resign — Gov Goje

By GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE
GOMBE State governor, Alhaji Danjuma Goje, declared yesterday at Okada, near Benin that those asking President Umaru Yar’Adua to resign from office on grounds of ill-health were doing so with a view to gaining  power through the back  door. His Edo State counterpart, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, joined the call, appealing to Nigerians for prayers for the ailing president.

Speaking at the convocation ceremony of Igbinedion University, Okada where he was awarded honourary degree in public administration, Goje said, “If democracy is to be sustained, we should not be sentimental. We should pray to God to speedily give good health to Yar ‘Adua. We should join other Nigerians to pray for Mr. President. Anything that will bring instability is unpatriotic. God who gives life and everything will save us.”
 
On his part, Oshiomhole called  for prayers for Yar ‘Adua. “All of us have the duty to pray for our president Yar’ Adua has make contributions to ensuring the peace and stability of this country at very difficult times.
I do not belong to the same umbrella with him but we belong to the same country. Yar’ Adua is an asset to this country. He is a statesman”, the Edo governor said.

Earlier in his welcome address read on his behalf by the deputy vice-chancellor of the university, Prof.Tonye Grace Okorie, chancellor of the University, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, stressed the need for  mutual cooperation between the school and the home front for a holistic moral upbringing of children.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/12/05/why-they-want-yar%E2%80%99adua-to-resign-%E2%80%94-gov-goje/

Nothing To Celebrate About Yar’Adua’s Administration - Na’Abba

FORMER Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Na’Abba, has said that there is nothing to celebrate about President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration because of the low standard of living in the country.

Alhaji Na’Abba, who said this when speaking with newsmen in Kano on Friday, maintained that Nigerians had not enjoyed dividends of democracy in the last two years of President Yar’Adua’s administration.

Na’Abba, who was the Speaker of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003, disclosed that the country was generally weak due to lack of effective governance.

According to him, “there is nothing so serious about President Yar’Adua’s administration under two years that can make people celebrate him.

“At present, Nigerians’ living condition has not changed. In fact, it is even worse than before,” he said. He stated further that as far as he was concerned, attempt to measure how happy people were had to be based on policies that enhance the well-being of the people.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/05122009/news/news12.html

EFCC ARRAIGNS 2 DIRECTORS, 2 EX-BANKERS OVER N621M FRAUD.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned two former bankers and a firm over a N600million fraud. They were arraigned at a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja. The former bankers are Hillary Amakor and Osondu Chimaokwu and the firm involved in the scam is Osdech Nigeria Limited. Both suspects were former employees of Finbank plc. While Amakor was an intern, Chimaokwu was a staff of the bank. Their arraignment in Lagos also coincided with that of two serving federal directors in Abuja. They are Engr Suleiman Idris of the Federal Capital Development Authority,FCDA and Dr Olatunbosun Ayileka of the Federal Ministry of Works.

The two bankers were arraigned before Justice Mufutau Olokooba on a six count charge bordering on falsification of account to the tune of N600milion ( Six hundred million naira only). One of the charges read: “Hillary Amakor. Osondu Chimaokwu on or about the 31st day of December 2008 at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division of Lagos High Court with intent to defraud conspired to falsify Account No. 313430000173201 belonging to Osdech Nig. Limited with Finbank Plc Owerri”. They pleaded not guilty to all the six charges.

Odion Obioh held brief for Amakor while W.K. Amao appeared for Chimaokwu and Osdech Nigeria Limited. Both defence counsel prayed the court for an oral application for bail. This was opposed by the EFCC counsel: Ben Ubi. Ubi reminded the court that certain material evidence that may be needed in the application for bail should not be presented orally. The Judge agreed to this and ruled that written application should be made for bail. He also ruled that the suspects be reminded in Prison custody and adjourned hearing on the bail application till December 9th , 2009.

In a related development, the Commission also
arraigned Engr. Suleiman Idris, a Deputy Director, FCDA, Abuja on a two court charge of fraud at the FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja . In one of the two count charges, Engr Idris was said to have on or about the 20th day of November 2008 with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N15 million from Gab O. C. Okpokwasili under the false pretence that the money would be used to obtain allocation of an outright purchase of three houses in Abuja for Dr. (Mrs) Virginia Anohu under the federal government sale of government houses in Abuja. Investigation later showed that the accused obtained the money under false pretence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.

Soon after EFCC counsel, Takon Ndifon, sought the leave of the court to prefer criminal charges against the accused person, he asked the court to read the count to the accused person. The accused pleaded not guilty to the two counts.

Counsel to the accused, Victor Okangbe then moved for oral application for bail. He pleaded with the court to grant the accused person bail as he was already on EFCC bail. He said the essence of bail was not to set the accused free but release him to sureties who are bound to produce him to face his trial at specific time and place. He cited the Supreme Court judgment on the case of Bamaiyi Vs State. He also cited the 1999 constitution to back his point that the accused was presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

Presiding judge, Justice Alade Toyinobo then admitted the accused to bail for N16 million, one surety with like sum and a senior civil servant who must be resident in Abuja .The case was adjourned to January 20, 2010

In the same manner, Dr. Olatunbosun Ayileka, a Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of works, was docked on a count charge of fraud and issuance of dud cheque. He was arraigned before Justice O. A. Adeniyi of FCT High court Abuja for issuing a bounce cheque to the tune of N6.8million.

The one count charge reads “That you Olatunbosun Ayileka on or about the 18th of August, 2008 in Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, did with the knowledge that you had sufficient funds in your account issued to one Michael Okafor, a Wema Bank cheque number 02374848 dated 18th August, 2008 for the sum of N6, 800,000.00 (Six million eight hundred thousand naira only) which the said cheque when presented for payment within three months of issuance was dishonoured due to insufficient funds in your account and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(b) of the Dishonoured cheques (Offences) Act Cap D11 of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 1 (1)(b) (i) of the same Act”.

Though the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge, his counsel Barrister Kolawole Olowookere argued that his client be granted bail on self recognition.

The prosecution counsel, S.A Ugwuebulem, however, rejected the bail condition and further prayed the court for a stiffer one.

The Presiding judge, Justice Adeniyi granted the accused bail on the conditions that the surety must have a verifiable land in the FCT and N2 million in like sum.

The accused is however to be reminded in Kuje prison pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions.

The case has been adjourned till November 11th, 2009. All the suspects were docked on Thursday, October 22.

FEMI BABAFEMI
Head, Media & Publicity
24/10/09

Banker Steals 12 Million Naira From ATM Machine!

A bank official who specialised in stealing the bank’s money through the Automated Teller Machine, ATM, is to appear before the court very soon.

The bank officer, Mr. Olajide Ogundipe, was alleged to have stolen N12.5 million belonging to the bank through the ATM machines under his custody at the Lokoja branch of the bank.

First City Monument Bank blew the whistle on Mr. Ogundipe when the Domestic Operations Department of the bank observed a fraudulent withdrawal of money in excess of N12 million through the bank’s ATM machines, and reported the crime to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

In the course of investigations, the anti-graft commission discovered that sometime in March, 2009, Ogundipe posted a debit entry of N450,000 to the Asset Account of the bank and credited the ATM with same value. He subsequently withdrew the sum through ATM machines after close of business.

Further investigations revealed that several other entries were passed in a similar manner and were withdrawn by Ogundipe.

The suspect, who confessed to the crime when he was picked up by EFCC operatives, said he used the money for his wedding. He said he made the withdrawals, usually N500,000 each time he loads the three ATM machines in Lokoja.

The Osun State-born banker, who joined FCMB in September 2008 after three years with Access Bank, in Abuja, said he never kept the stolen money in the bank but in his brief case in his Lokoja home, unknown to his wife who resides in Abuja.

After his confessional statement, Ogundipe who promised to return the stolen money made good his promise.

He brought an FCMB draft of N9,000,100 dated 22 October, 2009. He was said to have earlier paid N3,500,000 of the stolen money.

http://thepmnews.com/2009/10/26/banker-steals-n12m-from-atm