Complaints commission backs fight against corruption, injustice

The Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission, Osun State, Prof. Razaq Abubakre, has pledged the commission’s readiness to join others in the war against corruption and injustice in the country.

He said despite the level of corruption in Nigeria and the fight against the truth, the country could still be sanitised through the commission’s renewed commitment to truth and fairness.

He commended Punch Newspapers for what he described as its exemplary media practice and consistent pursuit of excellent journalism, which he said had been unequaled in the last 10 years in the country.

The commissioner made the remarks while on a courtesy visit to Punch Place, in Magboro, Ogun State, on Tuesday.

According to Abubakre, who is also the Chairman of the Publicity, Public Enlightenment Committee of the Commission, the agency faces a Herculean task, like journalists in the country, who are constantly persecuted because of their roles as the watchdog of society.

He said, “Who likes the watchdog? It is only someone who is doing what is right. Whoever is doing what is wrong, will not like the watchdog. That is the reason some people try to frustrate the watchdog, while some go as far as shooting and killing the watchdog.

“Essentially, what journalists are doing, apart from educating, informing and entertaining, is the pursuit of the truth. You pursue the truth, find the truth, speak the truth, stand by the truth and defend the truth. People don’t like the watchdog, and that is why they threaten, kill and imprison journalists.

“We are here to serve everybody and use our official position to do what is right, investigate and restore justice to Nigeria.”

He said despite that the commission was established in 1975 by the Murtala Muhammed administration, it had been inactive, which he said became more pronounced from 1999 to 2012, when its service was most needed.

Source: PUNCH

UNIBEN lecturer arraigned over alleged bribe

A former Assistant Dean in the Faculty of Law, University of Benin, Isu-Ochiora Okogeri, has been arraigned in court for allegedly taking bribe to facilitate change of course of a female student to the Faculty of Law of the institution.

Okogeri is standing trial on a one-count charge of corrupting himself as a public officer by receiving N100,000 from one a student (name withheld), with a promise to effect her course change to the Faculty of Law, an offence punishable under section 98(b)(11) of the criminal code.

Giving evidence in the case with Charge No MCK/94C/2013, the first prosecution witness, (PW1), Edoseghe Oghogho Idahosa, who is the Head of the Intelligence Unit in the Security Department of the University, led by the state counsel, Kenneth Ugiagbe, said the accused person committed the offence on December 31, 2012.

Source: TRIBUNE

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.