Commission
EFCC arrests six suspected internet fraudsters in Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its Abuja Zonal Office has arrested six suspected internet fraudsters for alleged involvement in cyber crimes. Spokesperson of the Commission, Mr Dele Oyewale, said that their arrest was sequel to several intelligence garnered overtime about their suspicious lifestyles. Oyewale said that the suspects were arrested in the Dawaki model city estate, Abuja. “The suspects are, Iyoriobhe Endurance, 20; Peter Uyebitame, 23; Emmanuel Akpobome, 23; Samuel Odianose, 24, Basil Ezenwa, 24 and Dare Adegun, 24. “Items recovered from them include, one Mercedes Benz C350, 4 Matic, eight expensive phones and four laptops. “The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” Oyewale said. Get more stories like this on Twitt...
House of Reps probes utilisation of N25 billion appropriation of refugee commission
The House of Representatives on Monday expressed displeasure over the failure of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRMIDP) to provide relevant documents on the utilisation of N25 billion appropriated between 2015 and 2019 fiscal years. Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Wole Oke, who presided over the investigative hearing into the 2015 to 2019 audit queries issued by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation (oAuGF), stressed the need to investigate the efficiency of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) with a view to stopping the menace of ghost workers in all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). According to the documents presented by the Commission to the Committee, from the tot...
NHRC: Most govt officials are ignorant of human rights
The Ebonyi state coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr. Christopher Onyekachi, says most government officials are ignorant of human rights. Onyekachi who spoke with newsmen on Monday, in Abakaliki, called on government to make provision for human rights education our various academic institutions. “Most of the government officials are ignorant of human rights. There is need to help us through the program which UNICEF is ready to partner too. “Human rights education should be inserted in the curriculum of the schools so that children from the primary, secondary and Tertiary school levels will be ready to know what their rights are because these are the major people that will form members of the society. “So, when they learn their rights as the basic thing they will ...
Official: ICPC investigating cases of coronavirus fraud
File Photo The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it is investigating alleged cases of corruption in the management of COVID-19 funds and palliatives. The commission’s Director of Operations, Mr Akeem Lawal, disclosed this during a virtual meeting of stakeholders on the topic, “COVID-19 Funds Management and Monitoring”, on Thursday. In a presentation titled, “ICPC Monitoring Obligation and Strategy Re: COVID-19 Emergency”, Lawal said the cases include alleged fraud by some participating public institution in the release and distribution of grains from strategic food reserve. Others, according to him, include alleged infractions in the procurement of COVID-19 palliatives and logistics and community enlightenment activities. The ICPC official, who...
NDDC HQ shut over ‘coronavirus outbreak’
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has ordered the immediate shutdown of the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission in Port Harcourt following the sudden death of the Commission’s Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Chief Ibanga Etang. Chief Etang, whose death occurred in the early hours of Thursday at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt, was suspected to have died from complications arising from coronavirus disease. To this ends, Senator Akpabio has directed all staff of the Commission currently exhibiting symptoms not to panic but to report to the nearest NCDC centre in Port Harcourt for evaluation. The ministry in a statement by its Director, Press & PR, Mrs Deworitshe Patricia said the “Minister of N...
INEC approves new policy framework for Edo, Ondo states
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday approved a new policy framework known as Policy on Conducting Elections in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic. The commission, in a statement issued by Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, in Abuja said the policy document would be released on May 25. Okoye said that the provisions would be applied to the conduct of governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States scheduled for Sept. 19 and Oct. 10, respectively, as well as other by-elections to be conducted soon in seven states. “The general purpose of the Policy is to enable officials and staff of the Commission to understand and respond adequately to the challenges of conducting elections in the context of the COVI...
EU must focus on health, jobs now, fiscal matters later – Commission
European Union (EU) countries must now focus on investment in public health and protecting jobs and companies, and worry about fiscal sustainability later, the European Commission said on Wednesday. European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Paolo Gentiloni said that EU should coordinate its approach to economic recovery once the coronavirus pandemic subsides in its annual recommendations to the bloc’s 27 countries. Budget gaps in all EU countries except Bulgaria will widen well beyond the EU’s usual ceiling of 3 per cent of gross domestic product this year as governments use public money to prop up economies that are expected to plunge into their deepest recessions ever this year. Public debt is also going to rocket, breaching the EU’s normal requirement that it should be fa...
Retired general forfeits N426.7 million to Nigerian government
Reuters A retired Nigerian Army General has forfeited a princely sum of N426.7million to the Federal Government on the orders of a Federal judge, sitting in Lagos. John Onimisi Ozigi, a retired Brig-General had been standing trial for alleged graft in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which claimed before the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Muslim Hassan, that the cash was from the proceeds of crime and should be seized from him. Based on EFCC’s prayers, the court had earlier placed an interim forfeiture order on the cash and asked EFCC to issue public notice to whoever claims ownership of the cash to come forward with justifiable reasons why the money should not revert to the federal government and joined two companies-company, Diamond Head Ventu...
Court issues bench warrant for arrest of two Sri Lankans
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory High Court at Maitama, on Wednesday, issued a bench warrant for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to arrest two nationals of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Trial Justice Olasumbo Goodluck ordered that the two Sri Lankans Messrs Saththiyaraj Kantharasa and Vinith Ukantharasa, should be arrested after they failed to appear in court to enter their plea to a criminal charge pending against them. They were accused of forging the passports, national identity card and driving license of the Republic of Malaysia, in connivance with their Nigerian partner, Anthony Adetokunboh. A statement that was signed by spokesperson for the Commission, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, disclosed that the trio were ...
Center tasks Senate on thorough probe of allegations against NDDC
Pool Photo The Global Center for Good Governance, GCGG, has tasked the Senate on the need to embark on a thorough probe of the allegations leveled against the Interim Management Committee, IMC of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. The group in a statement, yesterday, also affirmed that it is not interested in the likely outcome of the probe adding that if the allegations against the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio, and the IMC are irresponsible, an unreserved apology should be extended to them. GCGG Country Director, Dr. Chris Udoh in the statement, said: “We salute both chambers of the National Assembly for rising to the challenges of exercising its oversight functions on the NDDC. “If the maelstrom of allegations against the Minister and the IMC turn o...
CSO commends National Assembly move to probe alleged N40 billion fraud in NDDC
Pool Photo A Civil Society Organisation, under the aegis of Niger Delta Movement for Peace & Justice, NDMPJ, has commended members of the National Assembly for setting up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged N40billion fraud levelled against the Interim Management Committee (IMC) in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). National Coordinator of NDMPJ, Comrade Etifit Nkereuwem in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Uyo, said his organisation had long expected the National Assembly to take action against the Interim Management Committee which was inaugurated without backing in line with its oversight function. Nkereuwem regretted that the reason behind President Buhari setting up the IMC and forensic audit to end the financial recklessness and properly...
