Obanikoro Slams N100m Suit On EFCC Over Rights Violations

Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro has slammed a N100 million suit on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged breach of his fundamental human rights.

The former Minister is demanding the sum as general damages for the alleged unlawful and unconstitutional seizure and detention of several items, properties and personal effects belonging to him and family by the EFCC on June 24, 2016.
Other applicants in the suit are: Mrs. Fati Obanikoro, Alhja Moroophat Obanikoro, Gbolahon Obanikoro, Babajide Obanikoro.


Obanikoro in the fundamental rights enforcement suit, filed on his behalf by his lawyer, Chief Ogwu Onoja (SAN) ,  is also praying the court to restrain the EFCC whether by its officers, Servants, privies, assigns or agents from arresting, detaining, harassing any of the applicants or any of their relatives pending the hearing and determination of the suit.


The applicants also wants the court to restrain the commission from further entering their premises and an order Directing it to tender an unreserved public apology to them for the unlawful action.

They are also asking the court to direct the respondent to release all the items, properties and personal effects seized from their premises.
The applicants further wants the court to hold that the action of the EFCC constitutes a gross violation of their fundamental rights as guaranteed under section 43 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.

In a 15 paragraphs affidavit attached to the suit and sworn to by Mrs. Fati, Obanikoro, states that on June 14 some officials of the EFCC numbering about 20 stormed their premises situated at 10 Mojisola Onikoyi Street,in Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos and took away several items.

She also alleged that the respondent thereafter proceeded to also search the personal house of the former Minister at 4 Layi Ajayi-Bembe road, Parkview,  Ikoyi, Lagos

She also claimed that before the alleged invasion of the premises there was no prior notice by way of letter or invitation served on any of the applicants and there was also no order of court mandating them to carry out the action.
She listed some of the items seized by the Commission to include: building plans, cheque leaflets, company documents, car keys, phones, two company seals and six company stamp.

The applicant further averred that the EFCC officials claimed that they are investigating the former Minister and two of his children but some of the properties taken away do not belong to them.


She also insisted that unless the court issued an order compelling the commission, it will not return the seized properties.

No date has been for the hearing of the suit.

162 Stranded Nigerians In Libya Arrive Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos

One hundred and sixty stranded Nigerians in Libya, on Thursday, June 16, were returned back from Tripoli via Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the support of the Swiss government.

They were received on arrival by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which coordinated other relevant government agencies in the screening and profiling of the returnees before providing temporary accommodation for them, feeding and helping to transport them home to reunite with their families.


The returnees made up of 132 males, 27 females and 3 children were flown to Nigeria in a chartered Boeing 737 aircraft operated by Ghadames Air under Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) arrangement after they indicated their intentions to come back home from Libya. On arrival, 3 sick persons among them were immediately taken to the hospital.

The NEMA team was led by the Director General who was represented by the Director Relief and Rehabilitation Alhaji Aliyu Baffale Sambo with the Deputy Director Search and Rescue Dr Onimode Bandele, Southwest zonal coordinator Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu. Present with officials of the IOM led by Sara Hamoi, IOM Consultant AVR.

The agencies that participated included the Nigerian Immigration Service, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Police, Port Health Services, Lagos State hospital, NAPTIP, other security agencies.

Source: NEMA

US Cancels Visas Of Three Reps Accused Of Soliciting S3x, Rape

There are indications that the US embassy may have been directed by its home government to cancel the visas of three members of the House of Representatives variously accused of attempted rape and soliciting for s3x, even as investigations were still ongoing.





The legislators, according to report, include: Mohammed Garba Gololo (APC, Bauchi), Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom) and Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue). They have all denied the allegations.

One of the affected federal legislators, Hon. Gbilla, in his reaction to the development, expressed surprise that the US embassy had gone ahead to withdraw his visa even when the allegation against him and his colleagues were yet to be proved.

The legislators were accused of attempted rape and soliciting for sex from prostitutes while on a trip to the United States. The three representatives were among 10 lawmakers invited by the US Government for the programme held between April 7 and 13, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Reacting, however, Gbillah expressed surprise that within some hours of bringing the matter to the attention of the House, the US Government had gone ahead to cancel their visas. He threatened to immediately institute legal actions against the US Government, the Ambassador and the Marriot Hotel Brand, among others for damages.

Part of Gbillah’s letter, which was dated June 16, read, “Without conclusive evidence of any sort or contact with any of the accused individuals, the US State Department and US Embassy in Nigeria have less than six days after your letter to the Speaker, gone ahead to revoke the US visas of the accused individuals based on hearsay from the employees of the hotel in Cleveland.

“Affected individuals received correspondence from the US Embassy on Wednesday, June 15, 2016, indicating the denial of their US visas and requesting that they bring their passports with the current US visa to the Embassy.”
The letter was copied to Dogara, the US Secretary of State, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Cleveland Council of World Affairs, and the President and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International.

On his part, Ikon claimed that the allegation levelled against him was not only untrue but also a case of mistaken identity.
He stated, “My attention has been drawn to the publication, alleging an act of impropriety against me by the US Mission in Nigeria.

“I wish to state unequivocally that this is false and definitely not me.
“This, to me, is a case of mistaken identity and I have already instituted measures both legally and diplomatically to clear my name and the institution I represent.
Meanwhile, Hon. Gololo had through BBC Hausa service denied the allegation calling on United States government to commence investigation into the matter to unravel the truth behind the act.
He said, “I feel bad about the report because it’s not true. U.S is an advanced country where we have camera and CCTV all over, if it were true, CCTV would have discovered it while I was in U.S. so I challenge the U.S. Government to provide full evidence.

“Some of my supporters have been calling to inform me that such allegation had been levelled against lawmakers from Gamawa in the past so I feel it’s a repetition of the same allegation to tarnish my image but I will defend myself,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has ordered immediate investigation into the case.
The parliament announced that it had commenced investigations into allegations of improper conduct levelled against three of its members by James Entwistle, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria.

“We are in receipt of a letter from the US ambassador, alleging misconduct by some members of the National Assembly, who attended a training programme in the United States of America,” House spokesman, Abdulrazak Namdas said.
“The leadership of the house has commenced its own part of the investigation. When it is concluded, we will brief Nigerians further on this issue,” he added.

Entwistle brought the incident to the notice of the House via a letter written to Speaker, Yakubu Dogara on June 9.

culled -independentnig.com

NEITI Report: Nigerian Senate Sets Anti-Corruption Record

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) did not remit $12.9bn to the federation account between 2005 and 2013,” Waziri Adio, executive secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI), said on Wednesday.
Adio made this revelation before a packed chamber of the Nigeria senate. The NEITI boss, who was speaking on the agency’s 2013 audit report of the oil and gas sector, was the first to be accorded the honour of making a presentation on such a matter before the upper legislative chamber in the present democratic dispensation.

He later expressed the historicity of the occasion in a series of tweets on his twitter handle- @waziriadio. “Thanks, Your Excellency for giving us the rare opportunity to address @NGRSenate on this very critical national issue,” Adio said in reference to Senate President Bukola Saraki “We are grateful for the opportunity granted by SP @bukolasaraki and distinguished senators to brief @NGRSenate today on @nigeriaeiti reports.
“This is historic, being the first time @nigeriaeiti's reports will be taken seriously by NASS. We welcome the committee set up by @NGRSenate.
“We hope this marks a real turning-point in fixing the deep gaps in our extractive sector. Thanks again to SP@bukolasaraki.”
Indubitably, by its action in adopting the report and setting up a committee to look into it, the senate has set a record in the war against corruption. Among other revelations, the NEITI boss asserted that Nigeria was only sure of the amount of crude oil it exports, but could not say the quantity of the commodity it produces.

He explained that the lack of accurate information on the actual quantity of crude oil Nigeria produces was compounded by the absence of a proper metering system.
"In 2013, the country produced 800.3 million barrels and out of that the country made $58.07 bn and that represents an eight percent reduction on the $62.9bn that the country made in 2012," he said.
"The second issue is that there are some monies that were withheld, lost or underpaid for different reasons.
"These monies are in three tranches.The first is in the category of the unremitted, and the unremitted amounted to $3.8bn and N358m.
"The second category is the category of losses, because of some inefficient practices and theft among other things, the country lost $5.9bn and N20bn.
"Under the category of the under-assessed the country lost $599.8m.
"When we look at the unremitted $1.7bn is still being owed the federation for OMLS.
"Also, $1.29bn from the NLNG dividends and N351bn from unpaid domestic crude debt, N2.17bn from cash calls refunds.
"Those are the monies we have established that should have been paid to the federation and were not paid.
"The second category of losses by NNPC and its subsidiaries. Out of the $5.9bn, N4.7 bn was lost to theft and vandalism.
"N20bn was lost because the NNPC did not observe the 90 days credit grace and when you look at the time value of money, if you calculate at 12 percent interest the country lost N20bn.‎
"Some of the issues in the report. The first is about the assets divested by NNPC to NPDC. NNPC between 2010 and 2011 divested eight assets that belong to the federation to its upstream subsidiary NPDC. So NNPC divested 55 percent of the shares being held on behalf of the federation to the NPDC.
"These eight OMLS are valued at $1.8bn by DPR. NPDC paid only $100m out of the $1.8bn meaning there is an outstanding of $1.7 bn, and even that $100m was paid two years after.
"What this means is that NNPC lifted oil on behalf of NPDC not on behalf the federation despite the fact that NPDC has not fully paid for those assets.
"Another issue that came out of the audit is the NLNG dividend. NLNG in 2013 paid $1.28 bn, but the money was not remitted to the federation account.
"Beyond this between 2005 and 2013 NLNG paid $12.9bn to NNPC and NNPC acknowledged receiving it, but the money was not remitted to the federation account.
"Another is the losses incurred from swap and OPA. This is the arrangement where NNPC exchanges crude for product and the country lost $518m due to the inefficiency of the swap and OPA.
"$211m was lost to product swap and $306m was lost to OPA.
"N1.3trn was posted for petroleum subsidy in 2013. It was 30 percent higher than the total for budget education, health, water and SURE-P.
"We found out that we have infrastructural deficit- the country can only say what it exports and cannot say authoritatively what it produces.
"This has always been an issue and the audit confirms that we still don’t have meters where we should have them.
"This lack of metering has serious implication for revenue and national security‎."
Speaking after the presentation, Saraki assured Adio that the senate would take action on the recommendations in the report.
"I can assure you will discuss this report fully, and we will take action. We will task the executive to prosecute those who are culpable," he said. ‎The senate president, thereafter, set up an ad hoc committee chaired by Jibrin Barau, a senator from Kano state, to look into the report.
Saraki directed the committee to turn in its report in four weeks‎.