News

Family faults ex-Speaker Patricia Etteh’s arrest by EFCC

Published

2 years ago

May 18, 2022

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The family of a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, has faulted Etteh’s arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

In a statement signed by its representative, Femi Alabi, and titled, ‘Mrs Patricia Etteh’s detention: Putting the record straight’, the family blamed the EFCC for arresting the ex-lawmaker.

The EFCC had arrested Etteh over a shady contract worth N240m awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission.

The former speaker was said to have received N130m through her personal account from Phil Jin Project Limited, a firm which was awarded a N240m contract by the NDDC in 2011.

The statement read, “We, the family of Mrs Patricia Etteh, hereby condemn in strong terms the illegal detention of our matriarch by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday.

“We want to put it on record that the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, went to the Commission’s office to honour its invitation through an SMS inviting her to make some clarification on the issue of the contract involving Philjin Projects Ltd.

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“Putting the record straight, Mrs Ibiene Wille-Harry, the Chief Executive Officer of Philjin Projects Ltd, a company under investigation is a longtime friend of Mrs Etteh as far as we know.

“Their bond of friendship is so deep to the extent that Mrs Etteh’s daughter lived in Mrs Wille-Harry’s house till she graduated from the university.

“This degree of closeness, therefore, encompassed constant financial assistance in form of soft loans from Mrs Etteh to Mrs Wille-Harry for the latter to execute several projects.

“It is crystal clear that the basis of every transaction between Mrs Etteh and Mrs Wille-Harry within the period mentioned by the EFCC was evidence of repayment of the said loans.

“Obviously, Mrs Etteh, by her inalienable right reserves the liberty to instruct her debtor to make payment in any manner she considered desirable in line with her financial circumstances at that point in time, hence, the directive to make payment into her personal account and that of her company.

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“Logically, therefore, there wouldn’t have been a directive to make payment into her personal account in case of any predetermined notion of fraud.

“Secondly, Mrs Patricia Etteh, from all indications had nothing to do with any business transaction with Mrs Wille-Harry except generous assistance on the ground of friendship.

“However, the speed at which the EFCC coined the said mutual transaction a ‘fraud’ is nothing but a fallacy of hasty assumption and encroachment of her fundamental rights.

“To this end, we want to emphatically state that we are really disturbed and worried by this development as a family because we are people of respected pedigree and we have an important family name to protect.

“We can say without any doubt that Mrs Patricia Etteh has nothing to do with any contract as the commission itself clearly established that she is neither a director in the company nor a contractor.

“Etteh, in line with our family’s guiding philosophy, is contented and would never involve in any shady deals. Even in office as an elected official, she never solicited any contract.

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“The purity of her personality had been established in the past by appropriate authorities after she was wrongly accused as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and her innocence was later proclaimed without blemish.

“We, therefore, strongly implore the Commission to further beam its searchlight on the investigation of Philjin Projects Ltd, to ascertain the veracity of Mrs Etteh’s part as explained therein, as we demand her immediate and unconditional release on the strength of her innocence and fundamental human rights.”

News

Police dismiss inspector for ‘N29.8m theft’, demote three officers over ‘extortion’

Published

8 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says Adabo Mohammed, an inspector, has been dismissed over alleged involvement in robbery and kidnapping in the federal capital territory (FCT).

In a statement on Friday, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said Mohammed and five others were members of an armed robbery gang allegedly responsible for the stealing of N29.8 million from a victim during a robbery operation in the Gwagwalada area of Abuja.

He added that the dismissed officer was also part of a gang that kidnapped one Ikechukwu Emmanuel Okafor, in the Tunga Maje area of Abuja and collected N4.4 million in ransom.

“The ex-officer has been charged to court accordingly,” Adejobi said.

Adejobi said Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police (IGP), also approved the demotion of three inspectors to the rank of sergeant over alleged extortion.

He identified the demoted officers as Osagie Efford, Semiu Agbekin, and Francis Ahuen, who were attached to the special tactical squad (STS) in the FCT.

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The police spokesperson said the officers intercepted an unregistered Mercedes Benz at the Gwarinpa area of the territory and “forced the occupants to part with the total sum of N29.4m.

“While the monies have been returned to the complainants, the officers were subjected to orderly room trial in line with extant laws, and have been demoted,” he said

News

FULL LIST: NJC appoints Wike’s wife, CJN’s daughter-in-law, 84 others as new judges

Published

10 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the appointment of 22 judges to the appeal court.

In a statement on Friday, Soji Oye, NJC’s director of information, announced that 86 judicial officers were recommended as judges for federal and state courts.

Oye said the recommended judicial officers will be sworn in after approvals from President Bola Tinubu and their respective state governors.

Among the judges recommended for elevation to the court of appeal is Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette, a judge at Rivers high court.

Suzzette is the wife of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

Also, Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria, the daughter-in-law of Olukayode Ariwoola, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), was among those recommended as judges of the FCT high court.

FULL LIST

JUSTICES OF COURT OF APPEAL

1. Hon. Justice Kwahar Polycarp Terna

2. Hon. Justice Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola

3. Hon. Justice Eleojo Eneche

4. Hon. Justice Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf

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5. Hon. Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman

6. Hon. Justice Abdu Dogo

7. Hon. Justice Fadawu Umaru

8. Hon. Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani

9. Hon. Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar

10. Hon. Justice Abdulazeez M. Anka

11. Hon. Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba

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12. Hon. Justice Nwoye Victoria Tochukwu

13. Hon. Justice Nwabunkeonye Onwosi

14. Hon. Justice Okorowo Donatus Uwaezuoke

15. Hon. Justice Ngozika Uwazurunonye Okaisabor

16. Hon. Justice Ntong Festus Ntong

17. Hon. Justice Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi

18. Hon. Justice Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette

19. Hon. Justice Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo

20. Hon. Justice Akinyemi Abiodun Azeem

21. Hon. Justice Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola

22. Hon. Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi

JUDGES OF HIGH COURT, FCT ABUJA

1. Ademuyiwa Olakunle Oyeyipo

2. Bamodu Odunayo Olutomi

3. Anumaenwe Godwin Iheabunike

4. Odo Celestine Obinna

5. Hauwa Lawal Gummi

6. Abdurahman Usman

7. Buetnaan Mandy Bassi

8. Sarah Benjamin Inesu Avoh

9. Maryan Iye Yusuf

10. Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria

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11. Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike

12. Munirat Ibrahim Tanko

JUDGES OF IMO STATE HIGH COURT

1. Akowundu Cletus Ndubuisi

2. Uchenna Mary Njoku

3. Chibuogwu Ojiugo Chukwumaeze

4. Ononogbo Chidi Linus

5. Adaego Peace Nosiri

6. Emeka Ozoma Orafu

7. Mathew Chinedu Ijezie

JUDGES OF BAUCH STATE HIGH COURT

1. Amin Umar Ilelah

2. Aliyu Bin Idris

3. Ahmed Shuaibu Ningi

4. Shafa’u Ladan Yusuf

5. Abdussalam Idris Waziri

6. Kawu A. Yerima

JUDGES OF TARABA STATE HIGH COURT

1. Hamidu Audu

2. Bibonga Jeniffer Nauma

3. Joel Daniel Ubandoma

JUDGES OF LAGOS STATE HIGH COURT

1. Sunmonu Tunde Bashiru

2. Azeez Fimisola Augusta

3. Alebiosu Olawale Lawal

4. Adewale Russel Musiliu

5. Popoola Oluwatosin Ajose

6. Anjorin-Ajose Tanimola Abdulwaheed

7. Muyideen Abdul-Raheem Tejumade

8. George Alfred Akingbola

9. Balogun Adegboyega Ganiu

10. Shonubi Adenike Kudirat

11. Badejo-Okusanya Yewande Jokotola

12. Layinka Oyeladun Amope

13. Ojuromi Nalirat Olayinka Oluwatosin

JUDGES OF KOGI STATE HIGH COURT

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1. Ajesola Joseph Sunday

2. Ojoma Rachael Haruna

3. Kadiri Badama

4. Ezema Beatrice Ada

JUDGES OF JIGAWA STATE HIGH COURT

1. Mohammad El-Usman

2. Nilfa Abdullahi Gambo

KADIS OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, BAUCHI STATE

1. Ishaku Magaji

2. Abdurrahman Hassan Sabo

3. Bello Mohammed Sambowal

4. Muhyiddeen Mohammed

5. Mahmoud Idris Shehu Tiyin

KADIS OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, KOGI STATE

1. Muhammad Muhammad Bello

2. Okino Isah Saidu

3. Yakubu Adavenge Abbas

4. Shaibu Ridwan Aliyu

5. Idris Alhaji Abdullahi

KADI OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, JIGAWA STATE

1. Mukhtar Shuaibu Adam

JUDGES OF IMO STATE CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL

1. Everyman Ezenna Eleanya

2. Ofoha Sylvesta Uchenna

3. Ibeh Rosemond Oluchi

JUDGES OF CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, TARABA STATE

1. Esther Tata

2. Benjamin Samuila Bawage

JUDGE OF CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, KOGI STATE

1. Maryann Oziohu Otaru

News

AfDB to support Nigeria’s power sector reforms with $1bn loan

Published

15 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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The African Development Bank (AfDB) says it plans to support Nigeria’s power sector with a $1 billion policy-based operation (PBO) fund to boost electricity.

Policy-based lending provides countries with flexible, liquid funding to support policy reforms in a particular sector.

Kevin Kariuki, AfDB vice-president, power, energy, climate change and green growth complex, revealed the plans on May 16 at the Eight Africa Energy MarketPlace (AEMP) Forum in Abuja.

The theme of the forum is titled ‘Towards Nigeria’s Sustainable Energy Future: Policy, Regulation, and Investment – A Policy Dialogue for the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan (NIEP-SIP)’.

“We will be shortly seeking board approval for a $1 billion policy-based operation (PBO) with a significant energy component,” he said.

“This is aimed at supporting the ongoing power sector reforms triggered by the new Electricity Act.

“The timing of the AEMP and the proposed policy-based lending focused on the energy sector is, therefore, not coincidental.”

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Kariuki said AfDB will fund the policy recommendations to actualise the expected outcomes from the NIEP-SIP.

He said effective policies attract long-term investments and that an enabling environment maximises the value of existing investments, such as the $256.2 million Nigeria transmission expansion project (NTEP).

According to Kariuki, the project will include the construction of 500 kilometres (KM) of transmission lines and four substations with a capacity of over 1000 megavolt-amperes (MVA).

“And the $200 million Nigeria electrification project, which will build 150 mini-grids,” he said.

“Moreover, we are financing a study for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to explore the deployment of battery energy storage systems to enhance grid stability and facilitate greater uptake of renewable energy generation.

“Nigeria is part of our flagship $20 billion Desert to Power Initiative, which aims to generate 10,000 megawatts (MW) of solar power across 11 countries in the Sahel region to provide power to 250 million Africans.”

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According to Kariuki, this bodes well for increasing the proportion of renewable energy in Nigeria’s energy mix.

He said the multifaceted approach of supporting policy development, financing critical power sector infrastructure, and providing technical assistance and capacity building would be successful.

Kariuki expressed confidence that AfDB’s partnership with the federal government would create a viable and sustainable power sector that yields the desired result.