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  The ninth prosecution witness (PW9), Rouqayyah Ibrahim, a detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday December 8, continued her testimony before Justice Okong Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, revealing how former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, received diverted funds in dollars even while he was a fugitive in Dubai, and operated companies with N3 billion net worth that engaged in nothing. “We discovered that some of the funds, of which over 90 per cent were cash payment and deposits into the accounts were withdrawn in cash and laundered by the defendant. Some of these funds were converted to dollars and handed over to the defendant even while he had absconded to Dubai”, the witness said. The witness also disclosed that the defendant purchased two houses in Abuja, at the cost of $3.4 million, one in Jabi, in the name of Common Input for $2million cash from one Adamu Modibbo (now late), using his account offic...

  President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja ended a meeting with 36 state governors on the issue of security with a charge to them to work more with traditional rulers and community members to improve local intelligence gathering that will aid the work of security agencies. The President, who listened to presentations by a governor from each of the six geo-political zones on their specific security challenges, recalled that in the old order communities identified new comers and passed information to constituted authority. “The sub-region is no longer safe, more so with the collapse of the former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi’s regime and the cross border movement of weapons and criminals. “Governors must work with traditional rulers. Try and work with traditional rulers to boost intelligence gathering.’’ Giving an overview of the security situation in each of the zones, the President said his administration had done well in the North East and South South, adding that the South S...

  The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has condemned an attack on its official, Mr. Kosoko Razak, by a suspected commercial driver of an unpainted Suzuki Minibus with registration number AAA 693 YC at Jakande in Lekki, Lagos State. A statement issued today by the General Manager, LASTMA, Mr. Olajide Oduyoye, said the suspect later identified as Fred Onwuche, was stopped and arrested for not using a seat belt while driving. The incident resulted in a vicious attack on the officer with a pestle. The LASTMA officer was injured. “The brutish attack on the officer by the suspect is totally condemnable and uncalled for. The way and manner it was carried out, it was like a premeditated attempt to kill the officer. We must, therefore, send a strong signal to others like the attacker by ensuring that the culprit is punished to the full extent of the law,” Oduyoye said. Rasaq was quickly rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment and stitching of the deep cuts on his hea...

  By Ukan P Kurugh Yesterday at Gboko south, a guy simply identified as Jude, was set ablaze by his girlfriend. The reason for her action can be traced to the guy's refusal to marry her due to her misbehiour and hatred towards his mother. Neighbours stated that they had had a heated argument earlier in the day, where the said boyfriend asked her to pack out of his house. He thought he had heard the last of it but he was wrong. About 1.30am, the girlfriend reportedly returned to the compound with three men, they tore open the nets at the window and started pouring a substance into the room, suspected to be petrol, through the window. When we spoke to the young man who is currently receiving treatment at a nearby Hospital, he said he saw the girlfriend himself from the inside as she was pulling off the nets. The girlfriend threw a container into the room where he was, with his mother and another 2yr old child and immediately lit a match stick and took off. It was later learnt she ha...

  The Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, on Monday, December 7, 2020, re-arraigned Nkereuwem Akpan Etok, before Justice Justice A.A.Okeke of the Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The defendant, a former director, Akwa Ibom State Agency for the Control of AIDS was re-arraigned on amended six-count charge, bordering on alleged embezzlement and diversion of fund, belonging to the Agency to the tune of N24, 700, 200.00 (Twenty-four Million, Seven Hundred Thousand, Two Hundred Naira). Included as additional defendant in the amended charge is Peter Uduak Christopher, who allegedly aided Etok in the diversion of the funds, earmarked for AIDS control outreach, sensitisation, HIV testing/counseling and process screening in the state. One of the charges read, “That you Dr. Nkereuwem Akpan Etok, between 26th and 28th November, 2018 at Uyo, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while being director and project supervisor of Akwa Ibom St...