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This day ---
Dateline: 16/01/2003 11:01:45
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Okadigbo Loses N8m to Fraudsters |
Former Senate President and the All Nigeria People Party
(ANPP), presidential running mate, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, has lost about N8million
to swindlers who posed as auctioneers.
THISDAY gathered that the mastermind of the fraud was Okadigbo's personal
secretary, simply identified as Larry, who deceived him into believing that
there were vehicles to be auctioned at the Apapa Wharf in Lagos by the Nigeria
Customs Service.
The dupers were said to have presented forged documents to convince him they
were the ones to auction the vehicle on behalf of the customs and that the
fleet of cars shown to his (Okadigbo's) agents would cost N8 million.
Sources disclosed that the unsuspecting politicians, after studying the
documents and based on discussions with the people directed that the amount be
withdrawn from his bank account at Habib Bank, Apapa branch.
It was learnt that Okadigbo directed his personal secretary to withdraw the
money in the presence of his driver, who was not part of the scam
Investigations showed that before he could realise that he was in wrong hands,
the fraudsters had succeeded in carting away the N8million.
One of the principal suspects, John, has been detained at the State Crime
Intelligence Department (SCID) as the police have spread their dragnet to track
down the other two, Ode and Larry.
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419: Crime Panel Parades Two Suspects -
By Andrew Ahiante |
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As the effort to rid the nation of financial crimes
intensifies, the National Committee on Financial Crimes yesterday paraded two
persons said to be Advance Fee Fraud (419) suspects. =====+RETURN TO HOME PAGE+===== |
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FALLOUT OF PDP CONVENTION: Fraud incorporated ...How governors run their
states aground - By Jide Ajani,Political Editor
A DEAL IS BORN
It is simply called a window or a vehicle.
At least within the circle of those who know what they want to achieve -
and, make no mistake, it is indeed, a vehicle because it conveys quite a lot.
The commodity, cash.
This is how it works and has been working, but all that until recently.
A bank comes up with a facility which goes by the tantalising appellation,
Infrastructure Development Facility, IDF. What this means is that the bank is
providing a facility, a financial assistance - call it loan, which is what it
really is - with a view to assisting the state in question develop its
infrastructure. This could range from an assorted range of projects, from the
real to the imagined, the serious to the unserious, the important to the not so
important, the necessary to the outrightly frivolous, all that has to be done
is to get the governor of the state and those who call the shots in the bank to
agree to provide the facility. In some cases, the facility was provided at the
instance of the bank, sensing the non-availability of ready funds to prosecute
projects and in the face of demanding and contending needs of the state
administration, as well as the quest by the populace to see the dividends of
democracy. But in most cases, as have been discovered, the request for the
provision of the facility has become something which the state governor has had
to push and request for. Even the request, has had to do with the prompting of
those who had enjoyed such facilities and who now felt the need to assist a
fellow governor(s).
The request for the facility and the projects meant to be developed are
almost always not cost specific - specific costs are not usually attached to
each project. The reason for this is that it provides an elbow room for the
government to dance around the issue of cost when the time comes, a time the
relevance of which would be discussed later.
That way, a facility could be provided for say, four projects, and for this
purpose, the following:
Public Toilets;
Stadium Complex;
Hotel Complex; and
Renovation of Government House Complex
Mind you, no cost has been attached to each of these projects; and it would
appear to have been deliberate.
The sum being borrowed is N5 billion, hypothetically.
Once the facility has been provided, between the said bank and the state
government (read governor), terms of repayment would have to be agreed upon and
that is where the story begins to get interesting.
TWISTS AND TURNS
But somewhere along the line, a new but bombastic term is introduced just so
the transaction takes an air of intricacy which is not actually needed - its
only relevance being to confuse those who would want to take more than a
passing interest.
In come a Note Issuance Facility, NIF. This is another matter entirely and
its relevance is far-fetched but is nonetheless introduced. This gives the
impression that the state government has issued, or is issuing a Note which
members of the public are being asked to invest in. But it is all part of the
game. The tenure of the NIF could be, say, 10 (ten) months. And that, in a way,
is expected to be the official transaction and the mode of repayment by the
state government.
But that is not how it really works. All that the introduction of the NIF is
meant to take care of is the books of the bank as it affects the facility which
it is providing to the state government. That way, the bank keeps its books
clean and even when external auditors look into its books, they would have
nothing to complain about because the bank has gone about the provision of the
facility the best possible way just as it has taken appropriate steps to ensure
that the mode of repayment is neither endangered nor injured.
In fact, for the avoidance of doubt that a real banking transaction is to
take place or has taken place, the tenure of the NIF could be between the said
10 (ten) to 20 (twenty) months "from the day of first draw down", as
the statement is couched.
In that same repayment agreement, the amount to be paid back to the bank
would be stated along with the duration and it could be say at the rate of N650
million for the ten months.
But as would be discovered as the story progresses, all these are just meant
to fulfill banking righteousness.
‘ACCOUNTANT GENERAL, DEDUCT OUR MONEY’
Now, because it is almost always better to seek to repay a debt from source,
if there is an opportunity, the state government is almost always advised to
allow for a payment pattern which would be sourced from source.
And to the Office of the Accountant General of The Federation they must go.
Another term, which has been featuring in the racket is acronymed ISPO,
which means: Irrevocable Standing Payment Order.
What it means, as the phrase implies is that the Accountant General of the
Federation, is by the payment order, being charged to effect a payment to a
particular recipient which, in this case, would be the lending bank.
The ISPO would
normally read something like this that the AGF should transfer monthly, a
particular sum of money (which is categorical) from the statutory allocation of
the state from the Federal Government of Nigeria. It would be an ISPO in favour
of Account number, say 080231223457, belonging to State ‘A’ at the said bank.
A state is at liberty to decide which bank its monthly allocations should be
paid into.
TWISTING AND TURNING CONTINUES
Meanwhile, whereas the facility provided was meant to take care of the
following:
Public Toilets; Stadium Complex; Hotel Complex; and Renovation of Government
House Complex, the ISPO which the Accountant General of the Federation would
receive from the said state government would be padded with at least three or
four more projects.
The reason for this is to make the ISPO authentic and worthy of its
statement.
Therefore, a facility which was originally intended to cater for four
projects, at the cost of N5 billion, the re-payment of which was supposed to be
at the rate of N650 million monthly for ten months, would now be conveyed to
the Accountant General of the Federation in the ISPO as catering for seven
projects. The sum borrowed may not even be stated as was discovered in the ISPO
a South South State was alleged to have sent to the Accountant General of the
Federation. In the particular instance, the state government was alleged to
have procured a N2 billion from a new generation bank which is thriving. The
state was said to have procured the facility with a view to repairing a turbine
project, building of coppers lodge (which is purely a federal project),
development of real estate sites and the construction of a new governor’s
lodge.
However, information available to Vanguard points to an incongruity.
By the time the said state was to send its ISPO to the Accountant General of
the Federation, it simply said a sum of N750 million should be deducted from
source and paid into a particular account
with a bank in order to enable it defray the IDF it had procured.
That was not all. The state was also said to have added two more projects in
its ISPO to the Accountant General. The two projects were: Construction of
College of Health Services Renovation of a General Hospital. The reason for
this addition was with a view to justifying the deduction of N750 million
monthly.
The condition was that the ISPO shall
remain valid until May 29, 2003.
However, there was to be another additional condition attached, which was
that the ISPO stands irrevocable and shall only be reversed when the state
government is no longer indebted to the bank and one which shall be confirmed
by the bank. From the time the deductions started to the month of December,
specifically, December 16, 2002, when the President Olusegun Obasanjo was said
to have ordered the stoppage of such a deduction, over N12 billion had already
been deducted.
But a confusion has since arisen as a result of the action. While
information emanating from the Government House in the state insists that the
state government is not owing any bank and that the issue deceiving the
Accountant General to over deduct and remit to the account at the said bank was
false and baseless, another group of stakeholders in the state were in court
last week to push their case against the state governor and the bank.
That is not all.
So, on December 15, 2002, some leaders of the state took their case to the
President, informing him of the alleged racket.
The following day, President Obasanjo was said to have called the Accountant
General of the Federation, J. Naiyeju, to confirm whether or not such a matter
was on. The latter was alleged to have confirmed, a confirmation which made
President Obasanjo angry. He immediately ordered the stoppage of such
deductions.
THE PDP CONVENTION ANGLE
It was after the President had ordered the stoppage of such deductions, that
the new feeling of apprehension set in for some governors. In fact, during the
last presidential primaries of the PDP, one of the jokes against Obasanjo was
that should he be allowed a second term, Nigeria’s jail houses would suffer a
crisis of over-population. But for some governors who were taken in, their
immunity would still be intact until...
For those pushing this joke, there was a tinge of irony in it— though they
may not have been aware of it.
To many, what was not clear was that there was another under current. Not a
few governors had one way or another attempted the scenario painted above. And
at a time in 2001, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had to bar banks from
providing spurious facilities to state governments. To those who did not have
any idea of what the CBN had envisaged, they could not understand the wisdom
embedded in such a move by the CBN. But the CBN knew exactly what it was
attempting to nip in the bud.
So, in Abuja, after the president had ordered the stoppage of the
deductions, the governors came to town for the convention after two weeks of
the deductions. When the story of the rebellion first started, it started like
a rumour but it was real. Some of the governors who were not sure how Obasanjo
would react to their own brand of peculiar mess were worried. In fact, Vanguard
learnt that the meeting between the governors, Vee Pee Atiku Abubakar and
Obasanjo on Friday, January 3, only tangentially touched on the issue but it
could not really be openly discussed because of the opprobrium which such would
emit. But the governors did attempt to create soft landing of sorts for some of
their other colleagues who appeared to be in deep shit. For instance, and still
from the South-South, one of the governors was said to have requested that a
very powerful director in a Federal Government agency who is seen as very
influential and a threat to the governor should be dropped. Some of the
governor’s other colleagues shared the view not necessarily because they loved
their colleague but because a run on a colleague could open up the flanks of
the others. At the end of the meeting, nothing concrete was really achieved
other than the fact that Obasanjo eventually won the PDP ticket.
AND HOW DO THEY MOVE THE MONEY OUT
The excess of the deduction are siphoned by awarding highly inflated
contracts to bogus companies, the companies then go to the bank to collect
money, that way the difference in the deductions is taken care of.
BACK TO THE RACKET
What this typical deal exposes is the high level of unconstitutionality which goes on in the states and perpetrated by some governors. The unconstitutionality lies in the fact that hardly do their state Houses of Assembly approve of the deductions from source to facilitate repayment. The purpose for requesting the facility is also almost always kept vague for manouvring. The projects ought to be cost specific. The intention was deliberate and was meant to deceive and cheat. When a state says there is a Note Issuance Facility (NIF), it means that it is issuing a note into which people are investing. The tenures are contradictory and are so done to leave options open. Things would soon blow open; and some people are threatening to go before Justice Mustapha Akanbi anti corruption commission to spill the beans.
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IMF Insists Naira is Over-valued · CBN to introduce daily OMO |
In spite of the drastic depreciation of the naira against other major
currencies of the world over the years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
has said that the Nigerian currency still remained over-valued.
This was contained in a staff report of the Fund during the 2002 Article IV
Consultation discussion with Nigeria.
Between 2000 and 2002, the naira which presently exchanges offically at N127.11
per one United States dollar, has lost a N7.06.
The fund also harped on the need for the CBN to lower the mandatory liquidity
reserve of bank which presently stands at 40 per cent, stressing that this
severely limited the banks ability to effectively intermediate savings, imposed
an explicit tax burden on banks as well as encouraged false reporting.
Instead, the IMF'' urged the CBN to rely more on indirect instruments and move
towards Open Market Operations (OMO) on a daily basis, which would help improve
the functioning of the secondary market for treasury bills and reduce the
reliance of banks on the discount window for liquidity management''.
In response, CBN noted that the bank was gradually moving toward reliance on
more market-based instruments and that steps were being taken to harmonise
discount window operations with OMO.
To this end, the CBN maintained that it ''intends to begin OMO on a daily basis
in the period ahead, and an on-line trading desk is being put in place''.
The OMO is one of the windows through which the CBN controls the amount of
liquidity in the system by selling treasury bills at the Government Securities
Trading through which the Federal Government borrows indirectly from banks,
thereby mopping up their excess funds.
As regards the over-valued naira, the CBN emphasised that
''further flexibility in the exchange rate may be required to safeguard
Nigeria's foreign exchange reserves''.
The IMF also underscored that the improvement in the functioning of the foreign
exchange market since the re-introduction of the retail Dutch Auction System
(DAS) had resulted in the narrowing of the spread with the parallel market
rate.
On the DAS, the apex bank agreed with IMF that once sufficient experience had
been gained, ''the CBN should consider moving to the next stage and fostering
the development of a wholesale auction, which would greatly enhance the
effectiveness of the inter-bank market for foreign exchange''.
While recognising the burden that volatile and expansionary fiscal policy
placed on monetary policy, the fund noted that there remained scope for
enhancing effectiveness of the latter.
Accordingly, the IMF advised that interest rate be allowed to adjust to market
conditions, stressing that ''this would reveal more clearly the consequences of
an expansionary fiscal policy and that the CBN stood ready to tighten monetary
conditions in order to achieve its monetary and inflationary targets, as
needed''.
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Naira loses 300 kobo to the Pounds sterling |
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Monday, 1st July, 2002 By Babajide Komolafe THE nation’s currency Naira, suffered another severed depreciation in the parallel market last week as it lost 300 kobo to the British pounds sterling. AT the close of business last week, the exchange rate of the pounds buoyed by intense demand pressure jumped to N200 from N197 in the previous week. Investigations revealed that the impact of the demand pressure was so severe in some areas with N201 exchanging for one pounds sterling. According to Bureaux de Change (BDC) operators, the demand pressure was embarrassing with many forex and users angrily went away because their demands for pounds could not be met. Although the increase in demand started in the previous week, pushing the exchange rate to N197.5, it subsided early last week with the rate returning to N197. However towards the end of Thursday last week the demand for pounds became more pronounced. A BDC operator who confirmed this development to Vanguard stated that BDCs across the country are being bombarded with telephone calls with request for the British currency. The intense demand pressure according to some market operators might be due to the preparation by those travelling to the United Kingdom for the summer period which is around the corner. Others however rejected this explanation saying that the diversity of the demand among others indicates there is more to it than preparation for summer travel "otherwise, it means everybody is travelling for summer." Vanguard investigation however revealed that the increasing demand pressure for the pounds might not be unconnected with the successive increase in the official exchange rate of the dollar from N117.55 to N119.85 within two weeks by the CBN. |
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ThisDay
-- 23/06/2002
Airport As Robbers' Den
Several successful armed robbery attacks at the domestic wing of the Murtala
Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, have raised questions on the safety of airport
users. Ndubuisi Francis examines the trend
A den is the natural habit of
the lion. It provides shelter to the animal and infiltrators instantly meet
their waterloo. When the lion chooses to leave its den, it quite often does not
go for excursion. It is usually propelled by the quest to search for prey and
when one crosses its path, it grabs with fervent venom, not in a hurry to let
go.
An airport is supposed to be a haven for air travellers, airline operators and
sundry aviation stakeholders, among other civil users. It is not designed to
have the character of violence or blood-letting. At least, this has been the
norm the world over.
And this is why airport users feel secure whenever they are within the
precincts of any airport.
Until recently, the biggest menace air travellers in Nigeria had to contend
with was that posed by touts who deploy all antics in their arsenal to outwit
travellers to patronise them under the guise of helping to secure flight
tickets or other forms of usually unsolicited assistance. Many air travellers
had, in many instances, lost their luggage and sundry personal effects to these
"good Samaritans."
It is, however, to be pointed out that touts inflict no physical harm to their
victims (travellers) when they chose to deprive them (travellers) of their
personal effects. They usually mix up with the crowd in the departure halls and
disappear into thin air, leaving their victims with mental agony. Events in
recent times at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja,
Lagos, have thrown up an orgy of violence occasioned by armed robbery attacks.
But, the activities of touts have been dwarfed by the menace of armed and
violent robbers. They(robbers) have indeed literally turned the airport into
their den. They operate with enormous venom and confidence resembling that of a
lion in its den.
Sometime in March (on a sundry), a robbery gang had, after a successful outing
at Ajao Estate, Lagos decided to use the road linking the international and
local wings of the airport as escape route. They crossed the busy airport toll
gate which usually has a team of policemen around, proceeded towards Besam Bus
Stop and almost in front of the Beesam Police Station, they struck. Their
victim(s)? A police patrol truck with two policemen on board was making a
u-turn at the junction near the police station oblivious of the robbers'
presence. The robbers thinking that the policemen were on their trail, opened
fire immediately. A policeman (the driver of the truck) laid dead. The robbers
sped off, passed through the road which has a number of Air Force units,
barracks and a couple of police check-points unmolested before making good
their escape.
Incidentally, the killing of the police officer by the robbers coincided with
the arrival of the new Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tafa Balogun to the
airport. It was his first maiden visit to Lagos after his appointment. While he
was alighting from the plane at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT 2) of the
local airport, his men were facing armed robbery attack on the other side of
the airport.
The following day (Monday), the armed robbery attack on the policemen was a
major story in the newspapers. A particular newspaper did, in fact, dramatise
it: "Robbers Welcome New IG to Lagos." What a way to welcome the
nation's number one law enforcement officer! As if the robbers had just
discovered a fresh fertile ground for their daring business, they again struck
April 7 (another Sunday) at the domestic wing of the airport.
This time, their target was the mosque located adjacent the burnt terminal
which some elements from the northern part of the country have turned into an
illegal enclave to exchange all manner of currencies. The robbers numbering
five, two of them ladies, had arrived the mosque in a Mercedes Benz car and the
currency exchange operators (often called black marketers) had swooped on the
car's occupants without an inkling that they were harbingers of death.
No sooner had the black market operators swooped on the car did it dawn on them
that the strangers were neither on courtesy visit nor on any mission to
exchange money. They were there to take money, albeit violently. On sighting
one of the robbers who disembarked with a sophisticated gun, the operators did
not need the gift of clairvoyance to tell them that their 'visitors' were on
another mission. Pronto, they held a speedy dialogue with their legs Even then,
two of them were mowed down that Sunday afternoon.
Again, the robbers riddled the entire mosque with bullets as they shot
sporadically before carting away large sums of money in different currencies
valued at about N10 million. Curiously, while the robbers were operating, some
armed Air Force personnel manning the gate of a unit of the Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority (NCAA) which was next door could not put up any resistance,
not even when the robbers had finished their "assignment" and were
bidding 'farewell' to their victims. They took the toll gate end of the airport
and made good their escape.
Some Nigerians believe the daylight robbery at the Lagos Airport would not
happen in another country. Their argument is that in a country where
security-consciousness is the watchword, all the Air Force units, the police
stations at the airport and sundry law enforcement agencies at the airport
would have blocked all exit and entry points at the airport immediately the
gunshots were heard. Such officers would then be on alert to find out why the
gunshots and the source.
In such a situation, the robbers wouldn't have found any escape route since
they would have been confronted by the combined firepower of the Air Force and
the Police, among others. After that robbery incident, the Commandant of the
Murtala Muhammed Airport Command of the Nigeria Police, an Assistant
Commissioner of Police, Hezekiah Dimka who had boasted on assumption of office
few weeks before the robbery, to stamp out all forms of crime at the airport
was dumbfounded.
He, nevertheless, found an easy way out: The usual boast of fishing out the
robbers. After this robbery incident, the Managing Director of the Federal
Airports Authority (FAAN), Engineer Mohammed Ibrahim did said that it was a
vindication of the authority's insistence that the mosque where the foreign
exchange operators use as their base, should be demolished.
Ibrahim noted that a new mosque had already been constructed at the international
wing of the airport for use as worship centre. But the attraction is not
worship. The mosque at the domestic wing which robbers attacked that Sunday,
April 7 is a beehive of activities, a lucrative spot for the money-changers.
Efforts to eject them from that mosque has come to nought. They were said to
have often resorted to taking refuge under the influence of the Sultan of
Sokoto and other northern figures who prevailed on the authorities not to eject
them. They are still there today The most violent robbery at the airport was to
come on another Sunday, May 26, 2001. The robbers not only had a successful run
as usual but humiliated the police after their operation.
Numbering four, the robbers had, perhaps, based on insider information, arrived
the car park at the GAT 2 of the domestic wing of the Lagos Airport and waited
for about two hours.
A Peugeot station wagon with registration number Lagos BK 441 MUS belonging to
Inland Bank had arrived the park with some police escorts to cart money made
from ticket sales by Bellview Airlines to the bank. The police officers had sat
back in the car waiting for the sack containing the money to be loaded in the
boot, oblivious that robbers were lurking around. No sooner had the eagle-eyed
robbers noticed that the money was being loaded into the boot of the car did
they strike. With utmost ease, one of them, with the swiftness of a gazelle and
the venom of a lion baulked of its prey, made for the jugular of the seated
police officers.
In a most dastardly manner, he shot and killed the three police officers at
close range, turning their visage into a monstrous wreck. Another police
officer was critically wounded while the driver of the car was also killed just
as the robbers injured a female staff of the airline. The staccato of bullet
shots threw the entire airport environment into pandemonium that Sunday
afternoon. Potential air travellers, airline officials and other airport users
were involved in a race of their lives as they scampered for safety.
Again, it was a smooth sail for the robbers. They escaped unmolested in an
airport with FAAN security, regular police presence, Air Force units, police
check-points and stations.
The next day, the airport bank manager of Inland Bank and some others became
prime suspects of the robbery. They were quizzed. That is how far the police
has gone.
But theories have been awash as to why the Lagos Airport which has over the
years enjoyed robbery-free ambience has suddenly become the haven of robbers.
There is also the insinuation that is becoming rife that the dexterity and
confidence of the robbers leave room for suspicion that they could be either
serving or retired law enforcement or armed forces personnel.
The theories and insinuations are buoyed up by the ease with which the robbers
operate amid the presence of the police stations, Air Force units and other law
enforcement units. These speculations could have some logic in them considering
the fact that each time they struck, no whiff of resistance comes from the
police or the Air Force.
Although it is true that the Air Force statutorily stands for the defence of
the nation's territorial boundaries aerially, but as an armed force, nothing
prevents its personnel from helping to ward off attacks on innocent people
within an airport environment?
Another sour grape in the robbery attacks is that the Airwing Unit of the
Nigeria Police is located right inside the domestic wing of the airport. In
fact, it is just a shouting distance from the scene of the May 26 robbery. Yet,
no resistance came from there. Would there have been any escape or hide-out for
the robbers if the Airwing of the police at the airport sprang into action
after any such attack?
Incidentally, the May 26 robbery almost produced a national drama. The Senate
President, Anyim Pius Anyim was coming to the
airport at the same time the robbers were striking. His convoy just zoomed into
the VIP lounge of the airport shortly before the robbers' gunshots assaulted
the atmosphere.
What if the robbers had, in their characteristic bravado, confronted the Senate
President's convoy? What if in their bid to escape they had ran into the number
three man's convoy? What would have been the attitude of the Police Airwing and
the Air Force units at the airport?
THISDAY made several visits to the Police Airwing to see the commissioner
in-charge but the visits were unfruitful. However, what was on the ground at
the Airwing base does not elicit cheer and confidence in that arm of the
police. Several helicopter carcasses and many others that need maintenance dot
the whole environment. But even under this situation, serviceable and airworthy
planes were equally available there.
The question, however, is why the authorities at that arm of the police do not
find it necessary to patrol the airport, particularly on Sundays when the
robbers are usually on the prowl. Does the Airwing need an Act of the National
Assembly or approval from Obasanjo in a period of exigency or expediency before
reacting.
The robberies at the airport have very successfully rubbished the "Fire
For Fire" campaign of the Inspector-General, particularly when viewed
against the backdrop of the cold-blooded murder of his men in the May 26
airport robbery.
It poses a gargantuan question mark on the professionalism, security
consciousness and alertness of the men of the police. A policeman is supposed
to dream and talk security ceaselessly. But for three policemen to feel that
there was no problem at the airport car park on that May 26 day and therefore
relaxed in a car while money was being loaded into the boot of a car left much
to be desired about their alertness.
Those robbery operations have recommended the need for cooperation between FAAN
securitymen, the Air Force, Police and all other arms of the security apparatus
present at the airport. others must now say no to robberies at the airport.
There is also the suggestion of the need for the Federal Government to revisit
the issue of arming the FAAN securitymen at the airports. The International
Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) has reinforced the need for arming civil
securitymen at the airports, particularly after the September 11 incident in
the United States.
The authorities of FAAN have sent a proposal to the government to approve arms
for securitymen at the airports. The government may have started making efforts
to restore normalcy in the airports security arrangement.
The Department of Transport(DOT) and Federal Airports Administration (FAA) of
the United States have started extending assistance to the Federal Ministry of
Aviation in several areas, including security.
According to the Director of Airport Operations, FAAN, Captain Henry Omeogu,
efforts have been intensified to equip FAAN security at the airports in such a
way that they could be compared with their counterparts elsewhere. Re-equipping
the airport security system may come in the area of arms and communication. One
fact that should not be glossed over is to probe deeper into why the airport
robberies have incidentally happened on Sundays.
It should also be established why the police pick-ups and officers that usually
stay on top of the bridge linking the airport and Bank Anthony Road would
always disappear when robberies are carried out at the airport.
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VANGUARD - Bandits disrupt funeral procession |
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Monday 24th June, 2002 MASAMA, KEBBI — A FUNERAL procession in Masama village of Gwandu local government area in Kebbi state, was on Saturday night forced to flee as it came face to face with robbers operating in the area. The bereaved villagers, in compliance with Islamic tradition to bury the dead immediately, were on their way to the grave yard when they were confronted by a group of about 20 armed robbers who were "on duty" in the area at about 10 p.m. An eye witness said in Birnin Kebbi that the procession was confronted by a group of robbers, who directed them to stay clear because the area was not safe since a robbery operation was being carried out. According to the eye witness account, the funeral procession was on its way to bury their deceased mother, hajiya Ladi, when they run into the hoodlums who immediately directed them to keep clear of the area. The 20 armed robbers were operating in the house of one Alhaji Dabo Maigoro, when the mourners emerged in the area. "The robbers asked where the people were going in the night in such large numbers and the bereaved persons answered that they were going for funeral rites of their mother," the witness said. He said that the mourners attempted to proceed to the graveyard but the robbers told them that they were operating in the area and they should leave, but the mourners stood their ground. In response, the robbers opened fire in the air and the mourners abandoned the dead and took to their heels. The mourners reconvened later to conclude the burial ceremonies after the robbers had finished their operations having carted away property and money running into several thousands of naira from their victim. =====+RETURN TO HOME PAGE+===== |
THE
GUARDIAN
CONSCIENCE, NURTURED BY TRUTH
LAGOS. NIGERIA. Thursday, June 27 2002
Police
arraign suspected killer officers
By Ben Akparanta, Alex Olise and Odita Sunday-Fortune
SEVEN of the eight policemen on duty during the
shooting incident in Lagos in which two students were killed last weekend, were
yesterday arraigned in court.
One of the slain victims, Morakinyo Akerele,
was also buried yesterday, while a senior police official, in an apparent
unexpected side-tracking of procedure called a press conference to condemn the
prosecution of the killer suspects.
The suspects were arraigned on a three-count
charge at a Yaba Magistrate Court in the state.
The policemen had allegedly shot dead
Akerele and Nnamdi Ekwuyasi at a checkpoint at Falomo, Ikoyi junction in the
state. A week earlier in the same Lagos, another policeman in similar
circumstances killed a 17-year-old female student, Oluwatosin Adelugba.
The policemen arraigned for the Ikoyi
incident are Moses Asowata, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP),
Sergeant Lawrence Nwaiwa, as well as Corporals Dennis Asoikhia, and Gideon
Luka.
The others are police constables Bonny
Iweru, Cletus Aku and Gabriel Adekunle.
They were arraigned without Corporal Ikpi
Eyong who is believed to have pulled the trigger and is said to be on the run.
The accused persons who have already been
dismissed from the police, were brought before Mrs. B.O. Osunsami of the Yaba
Magistrate Court and charged with felony, conspiracy and murder.
Prosecutor, Mr. Adegoke Akinlabi alleged
that the seven policemen and others now at large, on June 22, 2002 at the
Falomo Black Spot did conspire among themselves to commit felony to wit murder
and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal
Code cap 32 Vol. 11, Law of Lagos State Nigeria 1994.
The magistrate adjourned the case to July
15.
Meanwhile, the remains of the late Morakinyo
were yesterday interred at his Festac, Lagos home by the bereaved family.
Accoridng to the deputy commissioner of
police in charge of operations, Mr. Nibo Komenibo, who confirmed the burial,
the parents insisted on having a quiet burial, away from public glare, for
their late son.
According to the deputy commissioner:
"The family wanted the burial extremely quiet and did not want publicity
at all, adding that it was for only close friends and relatives."
But hours after the policemen were
arraigned, however, Mr. Tunde Sobullon, a superintendent of police who is also
the Commander Mobile Police Squadron 20, Ikeja told journalists at a press
conference that the prosecution was wrong. In his view, "the policemen
only did their duty."
Sobullon who is tasked with providing daily
security to the state Governor, Bola Tinubu, also told reporters.
"I understand the difficulty the Police
leadership faces. They are under pressure to prosecute these policemen who have
done so much to reduce crime in Lagos."
He spoke further: "The victims who were
shot by the Police did not stop when ordered to do so because we are in a
country where people dare the law and the police.
"Today the wives of these policemen
that are in custody are temporary widows their children temporary
orphans."
Sobullon noted that robbers had killed five
of his men while on operation since the new security enhancement began in the
state. Therefore, Police Officers are at alert and now sensitive to motorists
who disregard signs to stop.
Meanwhile, the bereaved families are still
in deep mourning. One of the slain students, Akerele was a student of Chemical
Engineering at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, while the late Ekwuyasi
was at Informatic Computer College in the state.
Ekwuyasi's relations want the government to
do justice to their late son
Speaking with The Guardian, the
deceased's uncle and guardian, John Ekwuyasi urged government to ensure that an
end is put to wanton killing of citizens by policemen.
The late Nnamdi lost his father seven years
ago.
According to John, "our demand is not
to the Police but to the Federal Government. We are demanding that the
government should look into the matter on ground."
He spoke further: "We demand this not
just because of the immediate incident, but for the greater interest of the
nation; the whole process of police action, in our lives, in our daily living
and I therefore call on President Obasanjo to make a pronouncement for a
re-orientation of our policemen."
On the deceased, John Ekwuyasi said:
"My son, Nnamdi was a quiet and gentle young man who finished from Federal
Government College, Ijanikin with good grades and was getting set for the
University only to be killed just 200 yards to his house."
John added: "We lost Nnamdi's father
(my brother) seven years ago and now we have lost his son."
Condemning the allegation that the deceased
might have been drunk and disobeyed police instructions, Ekwuyasi said:
"My son Nnamdi never drank."
According to him, "On this particular
night, he was coming from his friend's house. They can attest to that. He was
being dropped-off, Morakinyo's sister had been dropped-off at the University,
Nnamdi himself was being dropped-off when he was killed, 200 yards to his
house."
The slain 17-year-old Nnamdi, according to
his uncle will be missed by the entire family especially his aged grandmother
who has been badly hit by the report of the boy's killing.
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VANGUARD - Thief reports self, accomplice to police
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Monday 24th June, 2002 JALINGO —FOLLOWING a breach of agreement between him and the receiver of his loot, a 22-year-old man, Noel Paul, who allegedly stole a generator belonging to a High court Judge in Jalingo, has reported himself and the buyer of the stolen item to tshe police. The Police Public Relations Officer in Taraba, ASP Atiku Nagodi, said in Jalingo, that the suspect stole the generator from the home of Justice Nuhu Adi of the state high court and later sold it at N3,700 to a technician. The PPRO said that Dauda, gave the buyer an advance payment of N700 with an agreement that the balance of N3,000 would be given to him later, but that the buyer refused to cooperate when paul came for the balance. Angered by this development, Paul reported the incident to the Jalingo Police Division, where he confessed stealing the generator and selling it to the buyer at N3,700, but that he paid only N700. Paul told the Police that the buyer had refused to honour the agreement to pay up the balance forcing him to report the matter to the police for neccessary action. The PPRO said that the paul’s confession led to buyer’s arrest and that subsquent police interrogations had confirmed that they committed the offence. The PPRO stated that as soon as investigation was completed,the two would be charged to court. |
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This Day - Naira in Free Fall as CBN Withdraws N28.2 Billion
By Ayodele Aminu
Like a recurring decimal, the
Nigerian currency, the naira, suffered another setback at the Inter-bank
Foreign Exchange Market (IFEM) Friday as it depreciate by 25 kobo.
The naira's depreciation is coming in the heels of Friday's withdrawal of a
total sum of N28.25 billion from the economy through the sale of treasury bills
to the banks, discount houses and to the investing public by the Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN).
At the close of business Friday, a dollar exchanged for N120.10. This is
against the N119.85 per dollar which prevailed since Tuesday.
It would be recalled that the naira was equally depreciated by 30 kobo on
Wednesday. This brings to two the number of times the naira has been
depreciated within a period of five days.
The naira which opened the year at N113.45 per dollar has therefore lost a
total of N665 kobo or N55.86 per cent of its original value within the first
six months of this year.
In the last couples of weeks market operators have continued to express concern
about the manner in which the naira is being depreciated against other major
currencies like the United States dollar.
The reason usually given for the depreciation of the naira by the monetary
watchdog is demand pressure. But lately the average daily demand have been
within the region of between $30 million - $35 million.
Although efforts to get Friday's trading results from the CBN proved abortive,
THISDAY checks in the industry however indicated that there was no demand
pressure. This brings to fore the rationale behind Friday's depreciation of the
naira.
The most visible reason for the persistent depreciation of the naira according
to THISDAY investigations, is to prevent further depletion of the countries'
external reserves which has continued to drop since last year. It fell from
$10.116 billion in January 2002 to $9.793 billion in February. It dropped
further to $9.546 billion in March, from where it dipped further to $9.226
billion in May ending.
In addition to depleting external reserves is the drop being recorded in the
Federal Government revenue. Already, the Federal Government has recorded a
N93.27 billion budget deficit in the first five months of this year (2002). The
deficits were financed from excess of crude proceeds and borrowing from the
banking system.
Meanwhile, the N26,494 billion sold at the Government Securities Trading last
week, indicates a dip of 7.9 per cent or N2.066 billion against the N26.494
billion sold in the previous week. This indicates that there is a relative
liquidity in the money market.
At the Primary Market Auction, a 91 days tenored investment with September 26,
2002 as its maturity date, all the N16 billion worth of bills placed on offer
were purchased at the successful bid and offer rates of 20.0000 - 20.6450 per
cent per annum.
Bid rates ranged between 20.0000 - 22.5000 per cent, repaid bills amounted to
N15.358 billion, putting the net sales/ purchase position at N642 million. the
true yield stood at 21.7659 per cent, while total public subscription was
N23.963 billion.
At the Open Market Operation (OMO), a 42 days tenored investment with August 9,
2002 as its maturity date, bills amounting to N12.560 billion were sold at the
successful bid rates of 20.3000 - 20.4000 per cent per annum.
The true yield stood at 20.8909, bid rates ranged between 20.3000 - 20.4000 per
cent, repaid bills stood at N9.915 billion, bringing the net sales/purchase
position to N2.645 billion.
The Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) however remained unchanged at 20.5000 per
cent per annum.
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This Day 28/06/2002
Like
the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), which organises the
November/De-cember General Certificate of Examination (GCE) for private
students annually, the National Examination Council (NECO) has introduced its
own private ordinary level examinations.
Mrs Juliana Adetoun, Lagos zonal co-ordinator of NECO, told the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos that forms for the NECO senior secondary
certificate examination were already on sale in 15 banks.
The banks, she said, included UBN, Afribank, Assurance, Equity and WEMA, adding
that each form costs N2,300.
Adetoun explained that the examination was to create opportunities for
deserving external candidates to obtain ordinary level qualifications and to
enable students to combine two NECO certificates for university admission.
She said this year's NECO private/external examination would begin on November
9, and end on December 3, pointing out that the subjects would be written in
the afternoon to avoid disrupting normal secondary school studies.
The zonal co-ordinator said that the council had sent out security agents to
monitor the sale of the forms to avoid hoarding and unauthorised increases. ===============+++++++++++++++================
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VAGUARD -
Tuesday 25th June, 2002
Enugu judge loses car to robbers
By Ise-Oluwa Ige
ENUGU—A GANG of armed robbers has
attacked the administrative judge of the Enugu State judiciary, Justice C.C.
Nweze, dispossessing him of his official car.
Justice Nweze, an
administrative judge of the Enugu State High Court, Nsukka judicial division
however did not suffer any bullet attack from his assailants.
However, armed robbers,
after taking possession of the car at about 6.00pm asked the high court judge
to be thankful to God for not being stubborn with them to warrant raining
bullets on him.
His chauffeur who drove the
car also suffered no physical injury .
Although details of how
Justice Nweze lost his official Peugeot car to the armed robbers were yet hazy
as at press time informed sources confided in Vanguard that the
armed robbers attacked him during broad daylight while driving home during the
week from the Enugu campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The judge and his chauffeur
were both commanded out of the car at gun point, the source also added..
It was good Samaritans that
took the judge and his chauffeur to a nearest police station in Enugu where the
matter was incidented.
The police though waded into
action immediately a formal report was made, no clear clue as to the
whereabouts of both the car and the snatchers has emerged.
But the judge was reportedly
assured that the long arms of the law would catch up with the armed robbers
soon.
When Vanguard
visited the official quarters of
Justice Nweze in Enugu, over the incident, he kept a sealed lip.
The Enugu state government, Vanguard
learnt, is uncomfortable with the development, and is currently working on the
police to track down the perpetrators of the crime on time.
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