Igbo are co-owners of Nigeria, say Southeast governors, leaders

Igbo leaders yesterday restated their commitment to Nigeria’s unity and insisted that the third largest ethnic group is a co-owner of this country and cannot be put down by any other ethnic group. They called on Igbo who have invested in other parts of the country to replicate such investments in Igbo land to create employment and develop the zone.

These are part of the decisions of the meeting of the leaders organised by the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo. It was tagged Igbo Unity Forum. Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha hosted the meeting held at the Imo International Convention Centre.

Governors, former governors, prominent citizens, including former Chief of General Staff in the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida military regime, commodore Ebitu Ukiwe Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Okorocha, Enugu State Deputy Governor Cicilia Ezeilo, former governors of old Anambra State Jim Nwobodo and Chukwuemeka Ezeife – Imo State Deputy Governor  Eze Madumere and industrialist  Pascal Dozie attended the session. Also there was former Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Alison Madueke (retd.).

The leaders said the Igbo have what it takes to solve any problem that might arise in the region.

Ohaneze President-General Gary Enwo Igariwe, described the meeting as critical to the rebuilding of Igbo land.

He said: “We should come together and solve our problems. We are known for our resilience and industry. Thirty per cent of investments in Lagos and Abuja is owned by Ndigbo but now we are calling on our people to think home and build another Abuja in Igbo land.

“We should invest at home to create jobs for our people. So, today is a special day because we have decided as a people to close ranks and proffer solutions to our problems.”

Guest speaker Prof. Anya O Anya, called for a reorientation among Ndigbo. “The solutions to our problems can only be found within and not outside. We are the only ones that can solve our own problems,” he admonished.

He added: “We are preparing to rebuild Igbo land to meet with the Nigeria of the 21st Century. We have gathered because the time is critical so that we can chart a new course for our people. There has never been a time we are faced with a barrage of problems like now so we need our past to find solutions to our problems.”

Commodore Ukiwe urged the Igbo to forget the past and look forward, “We should forget about the past; there is nothing to regret about and we cannot be intimidated by anyone”

The meeting was still ongoing as at 9pm when this report was filed. A communique was being expected.

Alleged N4.745b fraud: DSS arrests Obanikoro’s wife

Security agents yesterday arrested Hajiya Morufat Obanikoro, former Minister of Defence Musiliu Obanikoro’s wife. Her arrest followed intelligence sharing by the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mrs. Obanikoro was picked up over the ongoing investigation of her husband, who is wanted for questioning over the N4.745billion slush funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). The funds were reportedly traced to Obanikoro, Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, former Osun State Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore and three companies with links to Omisore.

Mrs. Obanikoro, who was transffered by the DSS to the EFCC, was later released by the anti-graft agency after a bail. Her international passport was impounded. Sources said her bail is with the condition of surety support of a landed property owner in Lagos. She was requested to return on Monday for interrogation.

According to sources, Mrs. Obanikoro allegedly arrived in the country last weekend from the United States.Obanikoro’s wife It was learnt that she was arrested by the DSS in Lagos while sorting out some documents relating to the ongoing investigation of her  husband.

A source said: “We got a report that Mrs. Obanikoro had sneaked into the country from the United States. After the confirmation of her travel log, an alert was issued to all security agencies. “Following intelligence sharing with the EFCC, the operatives of the DSS arrested her in Lagos with some documents relating to the probe of the N4.745billion slush funds from ONSA.

Another source spoke of excitement about Mrs. Obanikoro’s arrest because “some of the funds under investigation were wired into her company, which is called MOB.  “She needs to explain to this commission what job she did to deserve such remittance into her account,” the source said.

Responding to a question, the source added: “Mrs. Obanikoro had sued the EFCC for the enforcement of fundamental human rights for allegedly harassing her tenants and in-laws during the course of investigating her husband.”

The N4.745billion cash was sourced from the SAS Imprest Account of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under ex-NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) prior to the conduct of Ekiti State governorship poll on June 21, 2014.

Others linked to the sharing of the slush funds include Fayose’s associate, Abiodun Agbele(alias Abbey); Mrs. Helen Olayemi Fayose; Gbolahan Obanikoro; Babajide Obanikoro; Sylvan Mcnamara Limited(a phoney company allegedly  ran by the Obanikoros); Spotless Hotel; and De Privateer Limited, which is owned by Fayose’s  associate Abiodun Agbele.

Some Bureaux de change firms have also been fingered as having some roles in changing N759, 384, 300 (out of the N4.745billion) into dollars. A curious aspect of the landmark findings by the EFCC was how Obanikoro, as a minister, flew N1.219billion to Akure for Fayose a few days before the governorship poll.

According to documents obtained by our correspondent, EFCC crack detectives discovered that a firm, Sylvan Mcnamara Limited, allegedly owned by Obanikoro and his sons,   was used to launder the N4.745billion.

There is no plan to impeach Buhari –Nigerian Senate

The Senate, yesterday, denied speculations of a plot to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that it was only a rumour. Members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, refused to speak on the alleged impeachment threats with its National chairman Senator Ahmed Makarfi, saying it was a situation embedded within the legislature.

Muhammadu Buhari

The United Peoples Party, UPP, led by Chief Chekwas Okorie described any impeachment plot as satanic and subversive. The Senate in a statement by its spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi read:

”We expected the party to, at least, explore all the options open to it to verify that piece of fabrication which is only the figment of the imagination of the writers and their sponsors.

“It should be clear to the APC leadership that if there is any truth to that story, it should have been credited to a particular senator who was at the executive session.

“It is evident from our proceedings of yesterday (Wednesday) that the Senate itself was shocked that such a fabrication, which constitutes a breach of the privileges of the senators, was published and that was why we mandated our Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions to investigate the source and circumstances leading to the emergence of such a fabrication.

“We will like to assure the party that the Senate, as an institution, values the present democracy in our country and will not do anything that will undermine or weaken the system.”

South West APC bars Dino Melaye from zone, says he should see the zone as a no-go-area

The All Progressives Congress, South West Zone, has released a statement banning Dino Melaye from coming to the zone following his recent attack on Senator Remi Tinubu where he threatened to beat her up and ‘impregnate’ her.

The Southwest APC youth in their statement released yesterday July 14th, warned Melaye to regard the South West Zone as a no go area until he tenders a public apology to Mrs Tinubu. The statement reads;

”All Progressives Congress members (South West Zone) feel scandalized and traumatized that we are in the same political party with the likes of Senator Dino Melaye who was credited with using the sovereignty of the floor of the Senate Chambers to address Senator Oluremi Tinubu a Very Distinguished Senator and wife of our Leader Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in very rude, indecent and uncouched language.

We are surprised that any person elected into the Nigerian Senate could remind us of the often repeated lyrics “Vagabond in Power” by Fela Anikulapo Kuti at the Berlin festival performance. On the other hand, going by the antecedents of the undistinguished Senator Melaye, his current conduct in the Senate is predictable, he had “married” and divorced three women who all had stories of violence visited on them by him.

We wonder if Dino thought Mrs. Tinubu was in the class of his slave ladies. Dino we know was rejected in 2011 by his constituency at the polls, only for him to clandestinely contest the senate seat riding on the popularity of the All Progressives Congress to climb to the hallowed chambers of the Senate. But the leopard never shed its skin. Melaye is nothing but a disgrace to the Nigerian Senate.

We at the All Progressives Congress (South West Zone) call on the undistinguished Senator to publicly withdraw his tantrums and apologize not only to our own Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu but also to the entire Tinubu Family, Womanhood and the All Progressives Congress in the South West Zone. We invite all our women society organizations to see this as a fight against the denigration of the Nigerian woman.

We call on the National Leadership and indeed the National Chairman of our Great Party, His Excellency Chief John Odigie Oyegun, to call the disgrace of a person in Senator Melaye, a wolf in a sheep’s skin to order. From reports of his performance and activities in the Senate, this incident is typical of Dino’s record. We wonder if Dino will not one of these days carry out his treat of beating up a Senate colleague.

We call on the Ag. Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Kpotun Idris to note the threat issued by Dino Melaye, that he will kill anybody who testifies against the accused persons in the Senate forgery case. We think Dino threat is not just running his usual verbal diarrhoea, but his outburst was a demonstration of the hatred he harbors for our Distinguished Senator Oluremi Tinubu. Meanwhile Senator Melaye should regard the South West Zone as a no go area if he refused to tender a public apology and desist from such unruly behaviours on any colleague from any party of this country in the future. A word is enough for the wise. Signed: Ayo Afolabi, Zonal National Secretary, South West.

Gospel artist, Joel Benson of 6Team, kidnapped in Ogun, abductors demand N50m ransom

Gospel artist and cinematographer, Joel Benson of the Acapella gospel group, 6Team, was robbed and kidnapped at his home in Ibafo Mowe in Ogun state on Sunday July 10th. After robbing him in the presence of his wife and children, the gunmen took him with them.

The kidnappers later that day made him call his phone which was at his home and in uncontrollable tears, he informed his wife that his kidnappers were demanding a N50 million ransom before they can release him or they will kill him. Anyone with useful info is advised to go to the nearest police station

Federal High Court in Abuja dismisses bail application filed by Iyiola Omisore

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday dismissed the bail application filed by former Osun state deputy governor, Iyiola Omisore. EFCC operatives arrested him in Abuja on July 3rd and he has been in their custody since then. Omisore who is being prosecuted over N1.3billion he allegedly got from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, had filed an application for bail but it was dismissed by a Federal High Court Judge for lack of competence.

Vanguard publisher’s guard gave us a hint – Chadian robbers

Three suspected robbers, who attacked the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Sam Amuka-Pemu, in the Anthony Village area of Lagos State, have said they got inside information from one of his security guards.

The robbers, who are nationals of Republic of Chad, were identified as Umar Hussein, 46; Atim Abukakar, 31; and 35-year-old Abdulrazak Hassan.

They claimed to have made away with N200,000, phones and valuables kept in Amuka-Pemu’s wardrobe.PUNCH Metro had reported that a four-man gang invaded the publisher’s residence at about 1am on Sunday, June 5, 2016.

The robbers, who injured 81-year-old Amuka-Pemu, reportedly carted away his phones and money (local and foreign currencies), before escaping in a car they brought for the operation.

It was reported that the police thereafter arrested Amuka-Pemu’s two security guards, identified only as Jude and Francis, after which members of the robbery gang were apprehended.

Our correspondents gathered that through some tracking devices, security operatives were able to arrest two members of the gang in June, while the third member was picked up on Monday, July 10.

The fourth member, identified only as Muhammed, was said to be at large.

While being paraded on Thursday at the command headquarters, Ikeja, Hussein said a security guard at the publisher’s house opened the gate for them, adding that the guard did not reveal his identity.

He said, “There were two security men at the house; one was Igbo and the other Hausa. One of the guards called Gambo, our informant, to tell him about the operation. Gambo, who lived in the FESTAC Town area, informed Muhammed.

“We were four that went to the house and Muhammed invited us. The unknown guard opened the gate through which we all entered. We saw N200,000 in the man’s wardrobe and took it.

“I am from Chad, but I have been staying in Lagos State since 2001. I live in the Satellite Town area, where I work in a private school as a gardener. After leaving the man’s house, we went to a nearby hotel, where we shared the money inside our car.”

Abubakar, the second Chadian, added that he packed some pound notes from the publisher’s wardrobe and N100,000 cash, saying they met Amuka-Pemu sleeping.

 He said, “I stay in Sango Ota, Ogun State. I was called by Muhammed that there was a job he would want me to participate in. I was asked to go to the Anthony Village area. When I got there, a car was waiting and we drove into the close where the man lives; we met him sleeping.

“When I opened his wardrobe, I found newspapers and some pound notes. I quickly packed the pounds. I searched again and found N100,000 and took it. That was all I made from the robbery.

“We did not intend to beat the publisher. When he saw us, he was frightened and he tried to run during which he fell and hurt his finger. I had not worked with Muhammed before that day. When we came in, we tied the two security guards at the gate and escaped in our car after the operation.”

Hassan, the third suspect, told our correspondent that he drove the car used by the gang.

The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspects, said a Mitsubishi salon car, one sledgehammer and an iron cutter were recovered from them, adding that the police were closing in on the fleeing gang member.

He said, “Operatives are still interrogating the three of them to be able to arrest the last member of the gang. They have confessed to the crime, and the vehicle which they used for the robbery has been recovered.

“One sledgehammer and an iron cutter were also recovered from them. The three of them are from the Republic of Chad. They are cross-country criminals and at the end of investigation, they will be charged to court.”