N3.1BILLION FRAUD: COURT ORDERS SUSWAN REMAND

Justice Ahmed Mohammed, of Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday ordered the remand of former Benue Governor, Gabriel Suswam and his ex-Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia,  in the EFCC custody pending perfection of his bail conditions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Suswam and Okolobia were arraigned before the court on a nine-count charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and money laundering.

The two respondents pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them by the court registrar.

Prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacob, SAN, did not oppose the bail application of the defendants on the ground that they had been granted administrative bail by the EFCC and had not jumped bail.

Justice Mohammed held: “The respondents are granted bail in the sum of N100 million each and a surety each in like sum.

“The surety must be a civil servant of not less than the cadre of Director in the federal, state or local government service.

“In the alternative, the surety must have a national honour and must swear to an affidavit of means.

“The defendants shall submit their international passport to the registrar of the court.

“Failure to meet these requirements, the defendants shall be remanded in the EFCC custody pending the perfection of their bail conditions.’’

  Suswam and Okolobia were charged by the EFCC for alleged diversion of a total sum of N3.1 billion, realised from the sale of shares owned by Benue State Government and Benue Investments and Property Ltd.

Justice Mohammed adjourned the case till Dec. 8 for trial.

VIDEO: NIGERIANS DIG UP BURRIED CONTAMINATED CHICKEN

The Nigerian Custom Service at Onne intercepted six containers loaded with frozen chicken certified by NAFDAC to be poisonous and unsafe for human consumption and were buried in a pit.


However, desperate Nigerians numbering over 200 went to the pit site the next morning, to dig and carted away the poisonous frozen chicken and are currently on distribution in our markets !

"We saw scores of people in Eleme/Onne axis (just before trailer Park) carrying raffia bags full of exhumed 'frozen' chickens and turkey. The Nigerian Customs buried them Tuesday, 28th October 2015 after seizing them from the importers".

Upon further inquiries, Kennedy Friday confirmed this happened in Rivers State.
He reported: "I was driving to Bori with my leader when I saw a community of people, after Refinery Junction, digging the ground and bringing up something into their bags. I had to stop and be sure. Lo and behold, Rivers people were digging up contaminated chicken that Customs people buried in the ground. It's true!"Watch the video below....

VIDEO

PASTOR RAPES 13-YEAR OLD GIRL CLAIMED ITS THE HANDIWORK OF DEVIL

Pastor Ifeanyi Bernard, 46, has been arrested for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in the Karu Local Government Area of  Nasarawa state.

According to the Nasarawa State Police command, the alleged rape took place on November 3^rd, when the pastor was performing deliverance on the teenager. However, the pastor described the incident as the handiwork of the devil.

While parading the suspect at the Criminal Investigative Department, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sani Mohammed, said the suspect was apprehended following a report by the father of the victim, Mr. Martins Ijiwo.

According to the police, the cleric, who lives in the Alikima Mararaba area of the state, lured the victim into his house under the pretext of casting out demons from her.

The commissioner said the suspect threatened to kill the victim if she reported the incident to any member of her family. However, when the father of the girl learnt of the incident, he reported the matter to the police. The police subsequently stormed the pastor’s home and arrested him.

The CP said, “The pastor took advantage of his closeness to the girl’s family – who are members of his congregation – to rape their 13-year-old daughter under the guise of casting out demons from her.”

While speaking with our correspondent at the police command, the pastor confessed to the crime, adding that he didn’t know what came over him when he committed the crime.

He said, “I had been into evangelism for some years now and I have been casting out demons from people who have spiritual and family problems before I met this young girl through her father, Mr. Martins Ijiwo.

“I have been a friend of the family for quite some time.

“I used my anointing oil to lure her into my room and all of a sudden, I was carried away and before I knew what was happening, I saw myself making love to her.”

Punch

RETIRED ARMY COLONEL PARADED FOR CAR THEFT AND FRAUD IN UYO

Bassey Jackson-Umoh, a retired army colonel, who was accused of car theft, also duped one Mr. Inibehe Effiong, a Lagos-based lawyer of N50, 000. The Cross River State Police command had last Thursday paraded Jackson-Umoh for allegedly stealing a Toyota Highlander belonging to a lawmaker in the state House of Assembly, Mr. Steven Okpukpen.

Jackson-Umoh was said to have presented himself to the car mart, where the vehicle was placed for sale, as retired Maj.-Gen Peter Williams, attached to the Presidency in Abuja.

Following the publication in the Friday’s edition of The Punch, the Lagos-based lawyer, who spoke with Punch Metro on Sunday, said he was also bamboozled by Jackson-Umoh at a separate encounter in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

He said Jackson-Umoh had during the encounter in Uyo introduced himself as Maj.-Gen Paulka Williams, attached to the intelligence unit of the Presidency. He said, “The same person you reported in The Punch last Friday tactically duped me of N50, 000 on September 23, 2015, after an encounter at a bank in Uyo. That particular day was the anniversary of the creation of Akwa Ibom State, so most banks were not open for normal business transactions.

“On experiencing this little setback at that branch of the bank, the suspect, who was also in the bank offered to take me to another branch where he was sure would be opened. I did not suspect anything and had to join him because he looked responsible.

“In the course of driving, he told me that he was Maj.-Gen Paulka Williams in charge of the personal security of the President, and I had no cause to doubt him. Eventually we got to the bank and it was also locked. At that point he asked me to give him the N50, 000 on trust and that he would give it back to me on Monday. I did not have cause to doubt him.

“He gave me his telephone number and I called to confirm, it rang. The true caller application on my phone revealed his name as Paulka Williams, and that made me to believe him the more. I gave him the money. Unfortunately, after that day, his phone line never went through again. So, when I saw his picture in The Punch, I knew his day of reckoning had come.”

Jackson-Umoh had during his parade in Calabar boasted that he would deal with all those connected to his travails. He had also refused to respond to the several allegations levelled against him by the police.

Punch

FEMALE STAFF PROTEST SEMI-NUDE DEMANDS REMOVAL OF THEIR DIRECTOR OVER MISMANAGEMENT

Female staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, this morning, staged a semi-nude protest against the Executive Director of the agency, Professor Malachy O. Akoroda over what they termed ‘the mismanagement of funds through white elephant projects at the expense of research’.

A petition letter jointly written and signed by the Chief Yekeen Ogunyode, the Baale of Odo Onanla the host community and one Solomon Adebiyo read:

"Letters have been sent to the President Federal Republic of Nigeria and Federal House of Representatives regarding the lingering crisis in CRIN. In addition numerous petitions have been sent to the ICPC, the EFCC, the Auditor General, and Accountant General of the Federation concerning the mismanagement of funds through white elephant projects at the expense of research by Professor Akoroda.”

 The workers alleged that Professor Akoroda use his influence to engage the security services to intimidate, harass, and victimize all those involved in the struggle to expose his maladministration through the issuance of queries, endless warnings, open confrontations and many more. Chief Ogunyode and other community leaders informed journalists during the protest that they identify with the plight of the workers and demand for the removal of Professor Akoroda “We the Community Leaders have made several attempt to ensure this matter is settled, but Professor Akoroda will not listen. We cannot continue to fold our arms and watch this institute rot away or have our land taken away; most of our people are here. We want peace and I think peace cannot return to this place until Professor Akoroda is removed"he said.

Professor Akoroda has not reacted to the strike action or allegations leveled against him