News

Why we killed 16 soldiers in Delta Community — Fleeing suspect

Published

1 month ago

March 21, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

Why we killed 16 soldiers in Delta Community — Fleeing suspect

The suspect

A young man has released a video claiming to be one of the killers of the 16 soldiers attacked in Okwuma community while on peacekeeping mission over a communal clash between Okuama and Okoloba community in Bomadi and Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

The young man, who did not mention his name in a viral video, said two warring communities had a land dispute which led to a crisis.

The man however blamed the government and leaders for not calling both communities for a peaceful resolution.

“This is the last video I will make over the fight between Okuama community and Okoloba community.

“The Ijaw people from Okuama community used army to carry three people from Okoloba community and killed them. The three people were all slaughtered.

“The Federal Government gave some people power to do [oil] bunkering and after doing the bunkering, the army followed and guide them to sell the product. They betrayed their brothers and their own blood,” the man said.

He also alleged that the man in charge of the bunkering used the soldiers to take away three persons from his community before killing them.

“The 16 soldiers were killed when they came to take away our community leaders and the youths knew that when they take them (the community leaders) away, they will be powerless. That was the reason the 16 soldiers were attacked.

“My father was a retired army officer who died last year. I have lost six of my people to the fight between Okuama community and Okoloba community. The Federal Government can declare me wanted after making this video,” he added.

Recall that three persons had been arrested in connection with the killings of the 16 soldiers and taken to the military headquarters Abuja while more efforts were ongoing to capture the perpetrators of the crime.

News

Enugu Centenary City: Reps Committee rejects petition by Ndiaga, Amechi-Uwani natives

Published

31 mins ago

May 1, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

The Public Petitions Committee of the Federal House of Representatives Tuesday threw out the petition by a gang of land grabbers from Ndiaga, Amechi-Uwani, to sabotage the peace of the community and blackmailing law enforcement agents into granting them free reign.

Chairman, Hon. Mike Etaba, who presided at the scheduled hearing in the committee room, in Abuja, struck out the petition on the ground that the House had no power to adjudicate on a matter that was already pending in several suits in different parts of the county.

Those who filed the dismissed petition included Chinwuba Agah, and Sunday ‘White’ Nnaji,and five others, who have been leading a group of land grabbers from Amechi-Uwani disposing off plots of land at the Centenary Estate, on the false premise that the acquisition of the land by the Enugu state government was not lawful.

The petitioners,acting in concert with dubious developers desperate to take over Centenary through the back door, raising a number of unsubstantiated charges against imaginary enemies, including a police officer, SP Chdiebere Ijioma.

They also alleged that a certain police IPO, was killed in the course of his work on their earlier petitions, but provided no details or particulars of the alleged murder.

At the hearing of the petition in Abuja on Tuesday, Barr. Peter Ezeh, who appeared for Private Estate Internal Limited, overseeing the development of Centenary, informed the committee that there were over 20 matters at various stages in various courts in the country, a facts that the petitioners fraudulently withheld from the law makers.

Vice-chairman of Ndiaga General Assembly, Hon. Onyekwere Nwobodo, also alerted the committee members of the destabilising activities of the petitioners in their homestead, describing them as land grabbers and desperadoes.

After taking elaborate submissions from credible persons and interest groups on the matter, Committee Chairman, Hon. Etaba, ruled that it was not proper to meddle in a case in courts of competent jurisdiction.

He struck it accordingly!

The petitioners are now expected to come up with a new petition, may be to the Senate, this time, in their endless search for a forum to justify their illegal land grabbing activities inside Centenary.

Business

Naira rebounds, gains N28.15 against dollar

Published

6 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

Naira rebounds, gains N28.15 against dollar

The Naira on Tuesday closed the month of April on a good footing as it gained N28.15 at the official market, trading at N1,390.96 to the dollar.

Data from the official trading platform of the FMDQ Exchange, a platform that oversees the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), revealed that the gain represented a 1.98 per cent appreciation for Naira.

The percentage increase is significant when compared to the previous trading date on Monday, April 29.

The local currency experienced about two weeks steady fall by exchanging at N1,419 to a dollar.

The success story was replicated in the volume of currency traded, as the total daily turnover increased.

The daily turnover stood at 225.36 million dollars on Tuesday up from 147.83 million dollars recorded on Monday.

Meanwhile, at the Investor’s and Exporter’s (I&E) window, the Naira traded between N1,450 and N1,200 against the dollar.

(NAN)

News

Clark to EFCC: Probe all former governors over corruption

Published

7 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Advocate News Nigeria

Clark to EFCC: Probe all former governors over corruption

• Chief Edwin Clark

Elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate former state governors and other politicians who may have looted the Treasury in office.

This is contained in an open letter he wrote to the chairman of the commission, Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, made available to the media on Tuesday.

Noting that the many cases against some of the former governors and other politicians appeared to have been abandoned by the commission, he urged the EFCC to revive them, saying that corruption will never end if it is treated with levity.

“I also wish to advise you that all former governors who served the country and some who looted their state treasury, as it is alleged in Yahaya Bello’s case, should be investigated by your commission with rapidity to enable Mr President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to carry out his anti-corruption crusade,” he said.

Clark called on the former Kogi State governor, now being sought by the EFCC over corruption allegations, Yahaya Bello, to turn himself in court rather than engaging in procedural issues.

The elder statesman wrote: “Mr Chairman, I am prompted to address this letter to you after seeing you on the television courageously and forthrightly speaking on behalf of your commission (EFCC) on the former Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Yahaya Bello’s case, which is already pending in the Federal High Court Abuja, and as usual, some unpatriotic and misguided Nigerians have criticised you, branding your appearance on the television as media propaganda.

“I totally disagree with them, and you are on the right path.

“I sincerely appeal to my handsome and attractive son, Yahaya Bello, to surrender himself to the court with dignity and stop engaging in pursuing procedural issues that some Nigerian lawyers are manipulating in the media.

“The offence allegedly committed by him is bailable.

“The real issue is that Yahaya Bello paid some amount of money to the American School, which was paid with the Kogi State Government’s fund, to the sum of $845,852. It is also true that the American School has refunded $760,910 to the EFCC, which demanded it.

“It must be noted that the issue of bench warrant has always been an instrument used by Nigerian Courts to draw the attention of high-profile Government officials to the fact that no one is above the law. It is not new to the court and Yahaya Bello’s case should not be treated differently.

“At this juncture, Nigerians should ask themselves if corruption is a monster that must be defeated. Otherwise, we are in big trouble.

“As our Former President, Muhammadu Buhari used to say, ‘If we do not kill corruption, corruption will kill us.’

“Again, I appeal to the Nigerian public to support the new Chairman of EFCC in his crusade against corruption,” he said.

Congratulating Olukayode on his appointment, the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) expressed the hope that he will perform his duties “effectively, impeccably, fairly, justly, and without any discrimination, political victimisation or witch-hunting of political opponents and have the courage and ability to confront the so-called sacred cows in our society.”

He added that: “The level of corruption in the public service and even in private business has reached such an alarming scale. It has become a recognised part of our daily lives.

“While the Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, and Directors in a Ministry carry out corruption and abuse of office on a large scale at a higher level, the lower ranks in the Ministry, even including the clerks and messengers, are also involved in minor ways of corruption by hiding files and documents and asking for money before releasing them.

“A new trend has now increased the temple of corruption. It is ridiculous to say that some of the officers and assistants have increased the level of corruption in the public service. Some of those in the Presidency, Ministers offices, President of the Senate, and so on, demand money, particularly in dollars before allowing you to see their principals.

“Corruption and abuse of office, which unfortunately have become our way of life, can only be reduced if there is political will on the part of the government to prosecute all those found corrupt as emergency cases and give an accelerated hearing, or if the federal government should create a special court for a period of time to treat high-profile corrupt cases and not allow such corrupt cases to be announced over the media and no further action taken.

“We discovered with dismay that when President Muhamadu Buhari took over office, he could not eradicate corruption but allowed corruption to flourish both in the Presidency, including some members of his family, and the whole setup in the country.”

Clark prayed to God to give the anti-graft boss the “strength, courage, determination, ability, and wisdom to carry out this very important natural assignment to eradicate corruption in our society,” he added. (Nigerian Tribune)