HURIWA urges commission to expose corrupt officers

The Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has challenged the Fiscal Responsibility Commission chairman Aliyu Jibril Yelwa to disclose the identities of public office holders involved in “high-profile corrupt practices”.

The group made the call against the recent interview Yelwa granted to Daily Trust in which he said a certain government revenue-generating agency was paying revenue to a politician, without naming the agency and the politician involved.

HURIWA, in a statement in Abuja, gave Yelwa seven days within which he must declare the identities of such public officers or face legal action to compel compliance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.

Source: dailytrust

Yobe traders accuse JTF of extortion

Transporters and traders in Yobe State are lamenting alleged extortion by military personnel attached to the Joint Task Force, JTF, at check points in Damaturu.

Buba Umar, a trader that normally transports his wares from Kano to Maiduguri, in an interview with Vanguard, Monday alleged that they spend up to N20,000 to bribe the JTF on every trip at more than 50 check points, saying the amount is outrageous.

 He said: “Prices of foodstuff in the market have risen as a result of the extra expenses we incur, like the bribe we give to JTF and the hours we spend on the road.

“Some of these good are perishable, we have to deliver on time, but due to these numerous check points, they usually get spoiled. Many suppliers from Kano axis have stopped supplying food items to Damaturu because of this and it makes the prices of goods to go up.”

Another transporter said they spent hours on the long queue that stretches up to three kilometres at times, and the JTF are not helping matters.

 Source:vanguard

How I arrested Corporal for extortion – Superintendent

A Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, Oyanwenda Ekho-J, yesterday, told a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senior Magistrates’ Court in Karu, how he arrested a former colleague, Corporal John Enekele, for extortion. Enekele, who was dismissed from the force in February for allegedly extorting N11,000 from Inalegu Onah, is currently facing trial. Enekele was arraigned on March 28 on a one-count charge of extortion before Senior Magistrate Aminu Abdullahi. He, however, denied the charge. At the resumed hearing, yesterday, Ekho-J, Commander of the FCT Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, testified that he arrested the accused person who was on an illegal duty on February 2, this year. Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Sergeant Atteh Effiong, Ekho-J alleged that Enekele was in possession of N11, 000 he forcibly collected from his victim. He said other incriminating items such as three SARS bullet proof jackets, four gallons of diesel and a large quantity of marijuana in a black polythene bag were also found on the accused. The prosecution witness told the court that he was on routine visit to SARS office on February 2 when he saw an unusual gathering on his way and stopped to find out what was happening. He said: “I saw the accused person and one Paul, who was in a SARS bullet proof jacket, and I demanded to know the officer in-charge of the operation. “Paul moved close to me and introduced himself in an unofficial police manner. I quickly detected he was not one of us. I became suspicious and demanded for his police warrant card but the accused told me he had just passed out of police training school and was still awaiting his warrant card. “I later discovered that Paul, who posed as an officer, was the accused person’s partner on illegal duty.” Ekho-J said he asked the accused person what the crowd was doing on the highway instead of taking them to SARS station for proper investigation of the alleged crime they committed. He told the court that he had to send for the most senior guard commander at the SARS gate and ordered that they should all be taken to the office for questioning and detailed investigation. Investigation He said: “Investigation later revealed that the accused person arrested Onah with four gallons of 20 litres of diesel, handcuffed him and locked him inside his car for no reason. “The accused insisted that Onah must pay a bribe of N30,000 before his release or stand the risk of being taken to SARS base for torture. “Onah gave him all he had amounting to N11,000, but the accused insisted that he must pay the balance of N19,000 before he would be released. “Onah had no option than to call his brother to meet them at SARS gate with the balance, which they were waiting for before I arrived at the scene.” The search According to Ekho-J, the accused denied collecting any money from the victim and his denial prompted me to order an on-the-spot search of his car. He said that “all police officers, including me, are entitled to only one bullet proof jacket each, and I wondered where the accused got the extra three jackets found in his possession.” Ekho-J said the accused was dismissed from the police after he was found guilty in an in-house trial, and later charged to court. The prosecutor tendered in evidence all the items allegedly recovered from the accused person which the court admitted as exhibit. He, however, asked the court for adjournment to enable him present his third evidence which the court granted. Following the prosecutor’s request, the magistrate adjourned the case to August 19.

Source: vanguardngr.com

$1bn Malabu oil deal: Senate mandates committees to investigate bribery allegation

The Senate, on Thursday, mandated its committees on Finance and Petroleum (Upstream) to wade into the contentious $1.092 billion Malabu oil deal.

Senate President David Mark, who brought up the issue before his colleagues during the plenary, said there was need for the upper legislative chamber to carry out a thorough investigation with a view to unravel the circumstances surrounding the controversies in the issue.

The House of Representatives had, last week, summoned the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, over a letter purportedly written to a foreign organisation, Global Witness, saying that the House had cleared him of any wrong doing in the deal.

Royal Dutch oil giant, Shell and Italy’s oil major, ENI, are under investigation by the British Government for alleged money laundering over the Malabu oil deal.

The two oil firms with huge investments in Nigeria were suspected to be connected to a money-laundering allegation relating to the OPL 245 they bought from Nigeria for $1.3 billion.

Source: tribune

Nigeria Police Officer hands over huge sum recovered in robbery chase

A Nigerian Police officer recovered huge sums from robbers on Friday in Abuja after a spontaneous chase on his power bike in a rare display of exemplary policing.


The robbers, riding on a lower engine motor-bike snatched a money bag containing N150,000 from the victim as he walked out of a bank in heart of the Area 3 part of town.

The victim’s call for help drew the attention of the police officer, Abu Tanko, a Police motorcycle rider attached to the Force Headquarters Abuja.

Mr Tanko swiftly chased the robbers as they fled off with the cash. After few kilometers, at a point around the neighbouring Area 8, he caught with the robbers. The the robbers flung the money bag and ran away as he slowed down to pick up the bag.

Heroic Mr. Tanko returned to the scene about 15 minutes later with the whole sum of money intact and handed it in the bewildered owner before a cheering crowd.

Nigerian police officers are notorious for corruption and instability around money, forcing most Nigerians to rely on self-help or alternative security.

“It is an indication that there are still a few ones out there,” the force said in a Facebook post it made about the heroic officer. “All hope is not yet lost!”

The police advised distressed citizens to always call its officers because they institutionally required to respond to all distress calls.

Kogi Commissioner Denies Bribery Allegation

Lokoja — The Kogi State Commissioner Works, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullah, has denied allegation that Vehicle Inspection Officers ( VIO) under the ministry are extorting money from motorists who engaged in indiscriminate parking on the road.

The commissioner, while reacting to the allegation that the Vehicle Inspection Officers are collecting N10,000 from defaulting motorists, said the penalty fees for anybody that violates the law is N5,000, adding that there is a designated account number in one of the new generation bank where offenders are to pay the fees.

According to him, the ministry sensitized the public against indiscriminate parking by the road sides.

Abdullahi said it is not the duty of the state government to provide a parking space for motorists, noting that a driver who has gone through the rudiment of driving should know where to park and where not to.

Source: Daily Trust.

China shuts travel agency in GSK bribery case

SHANGHAI, July 19, 2013 (AFP) – China has shut down a travel agency which served as a conduit for bribes allegedly given by staff of British drug firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the government and state media said.

Chinese authorities say GSK employees bribed government officials, pharmaceutical industry groups, hospitals and doctors to promote sales.

The Shanghai Linjiang International Travel Agency was ordered to halt business over “illegal activities” including fake billing, the Shanghai tourism administration said in a statement.

Police also detained the agency’s chief representative Weng Jianyong, the Shanghai Daily newspaper reported on Friday.

GSK employees gave the bribes directly and through travel agencies and project sponsorship, police said last week.

A police official estimated GSK funnelled nearly $500 million in suspected bribes through travel agencies and consultants over several years.

Media reports say more than 20 people have been detained in the case, including pharmaceutical and travel industry personnel.

Police have held four top executives of GSK China and prevented another, the firm’s British finance director, from leaving the country though he has not been formally detained.

Weng, who as Linjiang’s “legal representative” is responsible for the company’s activities under Chinese law, told state television that his agency arranged cash payments of 40,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan ($6,500 to $81,000) for GSK.

“Company (GSK) regulations only allowed gifts of a hundred or two hundred yuan which definitely wouldn’t do,” he said in an interview aired this week.

GSK executives also took kickbacks from travel agencies in return for organising conferences, some of which did not exist, police say.

In a statement earlier this week GSK said it was “deeply concerned” about allegations of fraud by individuals at the company and third-party agencies and would cooperate with the investigation.

Source: pmnewsnigeria