Tag: fani-kayode

  • APC is dying – Fani Kayode

    Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is dying.

    He said this in reaction to the gale of defections in recent weeks.

    President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, governors of Benue, Kwara and Sokoto had announced their defections from the APC to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Earlier, some members of the National Assembly defected from the APC to other parties.

    Reacting, the PDP chieftain in a statement on Friday, said: “The APC is dying. What we see today is the last kick of a dying horse. It’s body has shrunk and decays more each day whilst the putrid stench of dead bodies trails it.

    “The mark of Cain is upon them: they are cursed beyond redemption and wherever they go they are ridiculed, despised, hated and rejected.

    “I say let the dead bury the dead: our focus should no longer be on the dead APC but on the resurrected PDP. The most important decision for us to make today is WHO our PDP presidential candidate will be?

    “Who amongst us can defeat Buhari and win the election in February, who can do a good job as President and who can heal the terrible wounds and bridge the bitter divisions that the corpsocratic and bestial tyrant has inflicted on our nation over the last three years?

    “The search begins and the game is on!”

  • Fani-Kayode condemns abduction of Dino Melaye

    Former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode has condemned the abduction of Senator Dino Melaye (PDP-Kogi West) by unknown gunmen.

    Concise News had reported that the lawmaker was attacked by gunmen on his way to Kogi State to appear in court over his trial on alleged gunrunning.

    Senator Ben Murray-Bruce (PDP-Bayelsa East) had confirmed the abduction of Dino Melaye around Gwagwalada area, Abuja.

    Reacting in a post on his Twitter page, Fani-Kayode called on the kidnappers of the lawmaker to release him unhurt.

    He wrote: “I wholeheartedly condemn the abduction of Dino Melaye.

    “I implore those that have kidnapped him to return him home safely to his family and loved ones.

    “I urge the Federal Government to do its job and protect the Nigerian people before it is too late.”

    You may recall that Melaye was among the 14 Senators that recently defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party.

  • Sultan blasts Ortom, Fani-Kayode for linking herdsmen killings to Danfodio

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll-led Jama’atu Nasril Islam on Tuesday knocked Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, and a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, for linking the herdsmen killings across Benue, Taraba and other parts of the North, to the continuation of the late Usman Danfodio’s jihad.

    The Sultan is the President General of the JNI with its headquarters in Kaduna.

    The group warned the governor and his cohorts, not to take Nigerian Muslims for granted by denigrating the Muslim community.

    This was just as the JNI urged Nigerian Muslims to intensify prayers for peace as the 2019 general elections approach.

    The JNI added that the need for Muslims to pray for hitch-free polls became imperative as politicians continued to foment crisis in the land.

    He called on “Muslims to intensify prayers for peace to return to the nation and for a hitch-free 2019 general election as politicians are busy trying to cause crises with their unguarded utterances.”

    Saying that the group would not have reacted to the governor’s vituperation, but for the fact that it maligned the name of the revered Usman Danfodio.

    The JNI through its Secretary-General, Dr. Abubakar Khalid Aliyu, stated this in Kaduna on Tuesday.

    The group said, “This is a reaction to a recent interview granted by HE Samuel Ortom, Governor of Benue State to an online TV programme, The Osasu Show, in Makurdi, the state capital, and has been carried widely by both the print and electronic media, to the effect that the ongoing herders-farmers clashes in his state are a continuation of the Jihad of our revered Shehu Usman Danfodio.

    For the records, the governor is not alone in throwing these tantrums, Femi Fani Kayode, one-time Minister of Aviation during the reign of President Obasanjo has always said lots of unprintable things against Shehu Danfodio. This rejoinder is premised on the fact that Islam does not encourage its adherents to castigate other people of faith or fabricate lies against them but encourages that once the Ummah (Society) of Islam is frequently maligned, then it is incumbent on the society to defend itself, hence the need for this write-up.

    The Benue governor got it wrong, most likely because of his malicious intent to smear the revered personality of Shehu Danfodio who had said in a widely-quoted statement that: “Truth is an open wound, only justice can heal it.”

    It should be noted that the Benue State Government and the Tiv Traditional Council have overtime been yelling that the Fulani crisis at their end is a continuation of Danfodiyo’s jihad. A case in point was the 17th March, 2014 press statement with Reference Number TTC/P1/2 signed by Ber Godwin, Press Secretary to the Tor Tiv and the Tiv Area Traditional Council.

    We, therefore, call on all, particularly the Benue State Government and its cohorts not to take for granted the leadership of Nigerian Muslims over these unfortunate crises in the name of herders-farmers’ clashes, particularly at this very critical time when the security challenges in the country are so many. More so, it is Ramadan period, a time we Muslims are enjoined to be cautious and calm in our affairs.”

  • Alleged PTF fraud: Obasanjo should have prosecute, jail Buhari – Fani –Kayode

    Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has former President Olusegun Obasanjo should have prosecuted and jailed President Muhammadu Buhari for allegedly looting billions of naira as Petroleum Trust Funds (PTF) boss.

    Fani-Kayode was reacting to the ongoing faceoff between both leaders.

    Obasanjo, who had continued to insist that Buhari should not be re-elected over his administration’s alleged incompetence, impunity and nepotism among others, had recently begged Afenifere, the apex Yoruba group, to join him to ensure Buhari is sent packing from Presidential Villa in 2019.

    Responding, Buhari had told Obasanjo that he had questions to answer over the $16 billion his administration expended on power budget without any meaningful result.

    Obasanjo had fired back and said that no president “with proper understanding of the issue would utter such” thing as Buhari did on the issue of the $16 billion power project during his government.

    In his reaction on the matter, Fani-Kayode wrote on his Twitter handle, “PMB to OBJ, ‘where is the power?’

    “FFK to PMB, ‘where is your brain?’

    “The greatest mistake that OBJ made was not to prosecute and jail @MBuhari for looting PTF funds. I saw the report and it was shocking. Billions of dollars had vanished. OBJ summoned him and showed him the damning report. Buhari begged like a baby. Sadly OBJ let him off the hook.”

  • Looters’ list not complete without Buhari, Osinbajo, Tinubu’s names – Fani-Kayode

    A former Minister of Aviation and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Femi Fani-Kayode has described as incomplete the fresh names of looters released by the Federal Government on Sunday.

    Recall that Fani-Kayode is number 18 in a list of 24 individuals accused of having looted the treasury under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed released the list on Sunday. He released the first part on Friday.

    However, in a statement released on Monday afternoon, Fani-Kayode said although he received funds in his capacity as director of publicity during the reelection campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan, the money was not passed to him by any government official.

    “I wish to make it abundatly clear that this is nonsensical and utterly shameful and I hereby reiterate the fact that I am totally innocent of any wrongdoing,” the former minister said of the list. ”

    “The Federal Government claims that I “looted” 800,000,000 naira from government coffers. This is false.

    “I did not receive and neither was I ever given one kobo by any government official, government agency or government parastatal during President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure.

    “The money that I received was given to me by the Director of Finance of the Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Mrs. Esther Nenadi Usman, before the election in 2015 and it was specifically for the conduct of the Presidential election.

    “I was Director of Media and Publicity of the Campaign Organisation and it was used specifically and solely for the running and conducting of the media and publicity aspect of the election.

    “Meanwhile I reject the false label of “looter” and I hereby return it to sender.

    “I also deny all the charges that have been leveled against me by the EFCC, I hereby restate my innocence and I shall continue to vigorously defend myself and my good family name in the court of law.”

    Read Fani-Kayode’s statement below:

    PRESS STATEMENT

    RE: “LOOTERS” LIST

    It has been brought to my attention that my name was placed in what the Federal Government of Nigeria describes as its “looters list”.

    I wish to make it abundantly clear that this is nonsensical and utterly shameful and I hereby reiterate the fact that I am totally innocent of any wrongdoing.

    The fact of the matter is that no “looters list” is complete without the names of Muhammadu Buhari, Yemi Osinbajo, Rotimi Amaechi, Tunde Fashola, Bola Tinubu, Lai Mohammed, Adamu Abdullahi, Dambazau, Kayode Fayemi, Babachir Lawal, Maina, Maikanto Baru, Burutai, all APC Governors and other key members of the Buhari administration and the APC.

    The Federal Government claims that I “looted” 800,000,000 naira from government coffers. This is false.

    I did not receive and neither was I ever given one kobo by any government official, government agency or govermment parastatal during President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure.

    The money that I received was given to me by the Director of Finance of the Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Mrs. Esther Nenadi Usman, before the election in 2015 and it was specifically for the conduct of the Presidential election.

    I was Director of Media and Publicity of the Campaign Organisation and it was used specifically and solely for the running and conducting of the media and publicity aspect of the election.

    Mrs. Usman, who was Minister of Finance during the Obasanjo government, was neither a member of the Jonathan government and neither did she manage, handle or touch any government funds in her capacity as Director of Finance of the Jonathan campaign.

    The money she made available to me came from a private company account which was used to house contributions made to the Jonathan campaign by party supporters after a series of fundraising event.

    These were private funds and not public funds and neither can anyone expect us to have run an election in 2015 without any money. You do not run election campaigns with sand but with money.

    It is common knowledge that the Buhari campaign in 2015 was funded by moneys that can be traced directly to the state governments of Rivers state, Lagos state, Kano state, Ogun state and a number of other key APC states yet not one of those involved or that governed any of those states at the time have been questioned, arrested or prosecuted by the EFCC or the Federal Government.

    It is also common knowledge that President Buhari himself was offered and received several benefits and received money from the office of the former National Security Advisor, Col. Sambo Dasuki, yet nothing has been done about this.

    From the foregoing, it is clear that the Buhari administration’s so-called war against corruption is selective and punitive and it is nothing but a vicious media trial and politically-motivated witch hunt.

    It is nothing but a squalid and mafia-like attempt to muscle, discredit, demonise and sillence key members of the opposition. It is slanderous, malicious and unjust.

    If not for the fact that the Buhari administration is an irresponsible, weak, desperate and corrupt government that has no confidence in itself and no sense of decency how can they declare people that have not been convicted by any court of law as “looters”.

    Not only is this a violation of the constitutional provision that says that an accused person is deemed innocent until they are proved guilty by a duly constituted court of law but it is also highly prejudicial to the criminal cases that they are or may be facing.

    Apart from that it is a crude and sordid attempt to intimidate the judges and influence the outcome of the cases which are before them and also to compel them to give the judgement that the government wants. This is not only unacceptable but it is also shameful.

    It is a clear violation of the concept of separation of powers which gives the judiciary alone the power to determine the guilt or otherwise of an accused person.

    It is trite law that only a court of law can declare a man guilty or declare him a thief or a looter and not Buhari and his government.

    How can anyone get a fair trial in a country when the government has already pronounced them guilty before the world?

    You cannot be the investigator, accuser, prosecutor and judge in your own case. This is a basic principle of criminal and constitutional law which appears to have been lost on President Buhari and his cohorts.

    I don’t blame him: I blame Vice President Osinbajo who, as a Professor of Law and a learned SAN, should know better and who I am reliably informed is the co-ordinator of all these politically-motivated, baseless and malicious corruption cases which are being conducted against opposition members by the EFCC.

    He is the one that has been saddled with the shameless responsibility of manipulating the prosecutors, emboldening false witnesses, attempting to pressure the judges and attempting to send innocent men and women who are members of the opposition to jail.

    One day, whether he believes it or not, there will be a reckoning for his wickedness just as there will be one for Buhari and his entire government. God will see to that and He will judge and punish them.

    Meanwhile I reject the false label of “looter” and I hereby return it to sender.

    I also deny all the charges that have been levelled against me by the EFCC, I hereby restate my innocence and I shall continue to vigorously defend myself and my good family name in the court of law.

    I have no doubt that in the end my innocence will speak for me, God will vindicate me and He will expose my accusers for the heartless monsters that they really are.

  • Fani-Kayode condemns PDP apology to Nigerians

    Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has criticized the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for apologizing to Nigerians.

    Fani-Kayode, writing on his Twitter page on Friday morning, held that the PDP had nothing to be sorry about.

    According to him, the only thing the opposition party should apologize for “is allowing a bunch of rouges, sociopaths and sadists like the APC to take power in 2015”.

    The former minister wrote, “What is PDP apologising for?Is it the achievements of OBJ or the strides of GEJ?

    “If PDP must apologise for its 16 year rule then APC leaders must get guns and blow their own brains out or take poison and drop dead for the corruption, hardship, bloodshed and evil they foisted on us.

    “The apology that PDP offered was ill-conceived and unnecessary. What are we apologising for? I was in OBJ’s govt and his achievements were legion.

    “The only thing PDP needs to apologise for is allowing a bunch of rogues, sociopaths and sadists like the APC to take power in 2015,” Fani-Kayode tweeted.

  • Muhammadu Buhari, his two-headed dragon and his war against terror (Part 2) – Fani-Kayode

    This is the same Boko Haram that they told us had been “technically defeated” two years ago and whose leader, Abubakar Shekau, they claimed to have killed a number of times over the last three years but who keeps popping up all over the place like a bad coin.

    This is the same Boko Haram that they took 1 billion USD from government coffers a few weeks ago and claimed that they wanted to use it to fight.

    The truth is that they have told us yet another lie and anyone that believes the fanciful tale that the money was used to fight Boko Haram or any other terrorist organisation will believe anything

    Now that the Dapchi girls have been kidnapped, the Government will allocate to itself yet another 1 billion USD and tell the Nigerian people the same old story.

    Buhari has failed in his so-called war against terror and against Boko Haram and he appears to have lost control of his own security forces.

    The whole thing is a mess and a sham and, to some, it is also a money-making venture.

    The final clanger and piece of compelling evidence of the sheer insincerity of purpose, irresponsible disposition and utter depravity of the Buhari administration was made manifest when the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, proudly announced to the world that no less than 100 fighter jets had been deployed to look for the 110 Dapchi girls!

    Such was the absurdity and magnitude of this particularly shameful mendacity and so embarrasing was it for the Buhari regime that the very next day the Nigerian Airforce was ordered to set the record straight, compelled to admit that the Minister of Information was lying and constrained to clear the air by telling the world that 100 jets had NOT been deployed to look for the abducted girls.

    Meanwhile at the last Council of States meeting, which took place in mid-February, President Buhari walked past the embattled Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, refused to shake his hand, looked him in the eye and asked “how are your cattle rearers?” with a big smirk on his face.

    This is all he had to say to a man whose people, for the last three years, have been subjected to mass murder, ethnic cleansing and genocide by (according to the International Terror Index) the world’s “fourth most deady terrorist organisation”, Nigeria’s second most deadly terrorist organisation and those same Fulani herdsmen and cattle-rearers whose welfare he was asking after.

    Buhari did not offer his condolences for the latest round of killings in Benue state which had taken place a few days earlier, he did not ask about the families of those that had been slaughtered and he did not ask about the morale of the people in the state.

    Instead he asked about those who have been slaughtering, butchering, tormenting and torturing them for the last three years and those that have been raping their women.

    This was callous, cold-blooded and sadistic. I watched the whole thing on video and, as I did, chills went down my spine.

    I was utterly perplexed and disgusted by his nonchalance and dismissive attitude and by his manner and disposition.

    If anyone doubts what I have said I challenge them to search for the video on Youtube and see it for themselves.

    Sadly no less than three days after this strange encounter and the President’s chilling question and inappropiate behaviour, Ortom revealed the fact that in his state 60 more innocent souls had been butchered by those same cattle-rearers since the mass burial of the 73 that had been slaughtered in January.

    He also revealed the fact that the Fulani terorists and herdsmen had flooded his state with over one million cows!

    Sadly the governor was to receive even more shockers after that. On the night of sunday March 4th the Fulani terrorists atttacked and slaughtered scores of people in Guma, Benue state, burnt down at least 20 houses and displaced no less than 200 people.

    Again there was no intervention made by the Armed Forces to protect or defend members of the indigenous population and neither were any of the marauding and killer herdsmen and terrorists apprehended, arrested, brought to justice or shot by our security agencies.

    The truth is that whether it is Boko Haram or the Fulani terrorists Buhari is not in the least bit interested in fighting or stopping them.

    As a matter of fact he thrives on their blood-lust and he appears to enjoy the horror and terror that their bloodfest inflicts and unleashes.

    Consequently both heads of the two-headed dragon that he bestrides and rides have been busy feeding on the flesh and drinking the blood of the Nigerian people.

    Then came a shocker.

    On the evening of tuesday 27th February, as I was about to board a plane at Abuja airport for my flight to Lagos, I received a phone call from a beautiful and courageous daughter of Numan in Adamawa state.

    She told me that Fulani terrorists and herdsmen had just killed our very own friend and brother, Prince Sam Zadok. I could not believe my ears and I fell into a state of utter shock and disbelief.

    Sam was a pride to the PDP, a rising star in Nigerian politics and an honest, noble man with impeccable credentials and unimpeachable integrity.

    He had such a bright future ahead of him and so much to offer Nigeria. He was a Prince of the Royal House of Numan, a former Commissioner of Youth and Sports, a former Special Advisor to a Governor and the spokesman of the PDP in Adamawa state.

    They not only killed him but they also killed 19 others that were with him whilst they were on their way to commiserate with the families of other Bachama sons and daughters that had been slaughtered by the same Fulani terrorists in Gwampa village just two nights earlier.

    About 50 Fulani herdsmen ambushed Sam and his co-travellers and they did not just kill them but they also desecrated and maimed their bodies, removed their eyes, cut off their vital organs, cut out their tongues and literally cut them to pieces.

    It was so bad that their remains had to be buried immediately and in the dark of the night without the youths of Numan seeing them otherwise there would have been an immediate response, a vicious, bloody and unprecedented backlash and a series of devastating reprisal killings.

    Those that murdered Sam Zadok and the Numan 19 are not human beings: they are animals. And as far as I am concerned Zadok and those that fell with him are martyrs because they were killed whilst they were attempting to defend and protect their Bachama kinsmen.

    I was restless throughout the flight to Lagos and utterly heartbroken that such a brilliant and courageous young man could be cut short in this way whilst in the prime of his life.

    I was so devastated by what happened to him that I proceeded to Prophet TB Joshua’s SCOAN Church in Ikotun for an unscheduled visit immediately after landing in Lagos in order to consult with the man of God and to secure prayers for Sam’s precious soul.

    TB Joshua has himself been a victim of terror and he knows how it feels. On 12th September 2014 his Church was blown up by rogue Islamist and jihadist elements in Nigeria’s intelligence and security agencies with the loss of over 200 lives and the whole thing was covered up by the government and made to look as if the building had collapsed because it had a faulty foundation.

    Despite that terrible experience, and as a consequence of his faith in God, hard work, commitment, dedication and prayer, Joshua was able to rise up to the occassion, get up on his feet and soldier on.

    This, coupled with his raffish charm, disarming simplicity and remarkable humility, has impressed and inspired me immensly and made me proud to call him my brother and friend.

    Since that horrific 2014 incident he has not only pulled up his socks and gone from strength to strength but he has also offered tremendous solace and comfort to the poor, the deprived, the wounded and the broken-hearted and to the relatives, loved ones and friends of victims of similar incidents and other tragic events.

    I can testify to the fact that he is a kind and gentle man that is filled with nothing but love and compassion.

    Given all this it was only natural for me to go and see him from the airport in an attempt to seek his counsel and wisdom and tap from his strength.

    Sadly I did not meet him in the Church that night because he had apparantly travelled out of the country and therefore I proceeded to Ikoyi to spend what can only be described as a sad, painful and sorrowful night.

    Whilst the entire nation mourned Sam and the other heroes of Bachama that were killed that night, the people of Numan themselves were filled with anger and rage.

    As far as they were concerned this was yet another unwarranted and unprovoked attack on their people by the Fulani terrorists who appeared hell-bent on igniting a full scale tribal war!

    Reflective of their rising anger were the words of the Acting Chief of Lawaru Numan, who, in response to another brutal attack that took place towards the end of last year, said,

    “Buhari sent the Fulani to kill us. After that the Nigerian Air Force deployed their jets to drop rockets on our houses. We wanted to defend ourselves, the Fulanis attacked us. They killed my father, he was cut into pieces.”

    This sort of thing is not only a regular occurence in Nigeria today but it is also an unfolding nightmare and a tragedy of monumental proportions. Yet it does not stop there.

    Just as my trauma resulting from the cold-blooded murder of my friend Sam was subsiding, no less than 48 hours later the news broke about a yet another devastating attack by Boko Haram on a predominantly Christian IDP camp in Ranna, Borno state.

    The reports confirmed that hundreds of poor refugees and other innocent men, women and children were slaughtered, including some United Nations workers, Medecine San Frontiers staff and other foreign and domestic doctors, aid workers and personnel.

    Worst still the military base in Ranna where many of them ran to for protection was also attacked, overun and overwhelmed.

    The soldiers were overpowered and swept aside, scores of people were killed and guns, weapons and all manner of munitions were stolen from the armoury and carried away by the Boko Haram insurgents.

    It is important to point out that this was the same IDP camp in Ranna that the Nigerian Airforce dropped bombs on in January 2017 which resulted in the cold-blooded murder of no less than 200 poor and innocent refugees, most of whom were women and children.

    The only explanation that the airforce and government gave at the time was that the bombing and consequent loss of life was “a mistake” and none of the pilots involved were brought to justice or faced any sanctions.

    That is the type of insensitive, callous, barbaric, unacceptable, inept and unaccountable leadership that Muhammadu Buhari has provided for our people and for the Nigerian Armed Forces.

    Meanwhile the two-headed dragon of Boko Haram and the Fulani terrorists that he rides and derives his strength and power from has continued to relentlessly feast on the flesh and blood of the innocents in our land.

    Permit me to conclude with the following: two days after Boko Haram attacked Ranna in Borno state, Fulani terrorists and herdsmen once again unleashed massive slaughter, carnage and terror on the indigenous Christian population in Mambilla, Taraba state.

    Many of the local indigenous farmers and their families were butchered and chopped up into small pieces after they were dispossesed of their farms, homes and land.

    Two days after that, on Sunday 4th March, the Fulani terrorists attacked a number of farms in Abraka, Delta state and not only massacred scores of innocent people, including women and children, in cold blood but also raped the women and cut off the fingers and toes of those those that they did not kill for “daring to resist” them.

    Rarely have such horrific events been witnessed in our shores.

    Under Buhari’s watch our nation has become a theater of war and a veritable human abbatoir where mass murder, ethnic cleansing, genocide, terror, fear, ritual killings, barbarity and all manner of evil reign.

    He needs to be stripped of his power and removed from office whilst the two-headed Whitewalker dragon that he rides and with which he torments and bestrides our nation like a collosus must be mastered, tamed, brought to heel, slaughtered, beheaded, carved into pieces, burnt to ashes and buried in the deepest recesses and bottomless pit of the filthiest pubic latrine.

    May God deliver Nigeria!

  • N4.6bn laundering: Bank manager testifies in Usman, Fani-Kayode’s trial

    The trial of a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenandi Usman, who is facing a corruption charge, continued on Friday at a Federal High Court in Lagos with the third prosecution witness, head of a bank’s branch, giving more evidence.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Usman alongside Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation and the Chairman of the 2015 Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation.

    Others are a former National Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Yusuf Danjuma and a company — Jointrust Dimentions Nigeria Ltd.

    EFCC slammed a 17-count charge bordering on laundering of N4.6 billion.

    They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bails.

    However, at the resumed hearing of the case on Friday, Counsel to the first accused, Mr Ferdinand Orbih, continued his cross-examination of the third prosecution witness, Mrs Shedis Gana, who began her testimony on March 1.

    Gana had earlier told the court that she was the branch manager of the Ghana Street Branch of Zenith Bank, where the second accused (Fani-Kayode) account is domiciled.

    In continuation of her evidence, Orbih asked the witness: Confirm to this court that the document in Exhibits 6 to 9 issued by the fourth accused and produced to this court by your bank were not certified by your bank.

    Witness : There is no certification stamp on it, but attached to it is a certificate of identification from the bank.

    Orbih: Confirm to this court that the cheques in those exhibits were crossed and paid through an account in your bank.

    Witness: Yes, they were.

    Orbih: Are you aware that political parties engage in fundraising for campaigns?

    Witness: I want to believe so.

    Orbih: Are you also aware that PDP had fundraising at that time?

    Witness: I want to believe so.

    During cross-examination, Counsel to the second accused, Mr Norrison Quakers (SAN) asked the witness: Were you invited by the EFCC for questioning in relation to this matter?

    The Witness replied: Yes, I was.

    Quakers asked: Was your response oral or written?

    Witness: It was both oral and written.

    Quakers: If you are shown a copy of the written statement, can you identify it?

    Witness: Yes, I can.

    Quakers then requested from the prosecution, the original of the witness statement to enable him further cross-examine the witness.

    The EFCC prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, informed the court that he was presently not in possession of the statement.

    Oyedepo asked the court for 20 minutes stand down to enable him to produce the statement.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court rose for 20 minutes and when the court resumed sitting, Oyedepo produced the statement and Quakers continued his cross-examination.

    Quakers: Confirm to this court that this is the statement you made to the EFCC.

    Witness: Yes, it is.

    Quakers: You told the court in your earlier testimony that you cannot authoritatively say it was the second accused that personally cashed the monies, but the account officer told you so.

    Witness: I said so.

    Quakers asked the witness to read out line six of her statement.

    Witness: On that day he came for these transactions, the money was paid to him, I know he went away with his money.

    Quakers: So how do you reconcile these statements?

    Witness: I am the branch head, I am not always in the office.

    When Quakers sought to tender the statement in evidence, Oyedepo objected to the admissibility of the statement, saying “an extra-judicial statement of a witness in a criminal trial is an inadmissible evidence to all parties.”

    Citing a 2016 Court of Appeal decision between Okeke Vs The State and relying on Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011, Oyedepo addressed the court: “The occasion that will arise to admit an extra-judicial statement of a witness is the establishment of a material contradiction between the witness evidence on oath and the statement.

    “The cross-examiner has not established any contradiction at all; I urge the court not to admit the document but not to reject same”.

    Counsel to the second accused, Quakers, in response to the prosecution’s objection, cited Section 83 of the Evidence Act 2011 and he told the court: The records of this court clearly contains what the witness said, there is a material contradiction between her testimony in court yesterday, and her statement.

    Justice Aikawa adjourned until March 29 for ruling and continuation of cross-examination.

  • ‘Like Mugabe, Zuma…Buhari will also resign’: Fani-Kayode assures Nigerians

    ‘Like Mugabe, Zuma…Buhari will also resign’: Fani-Kayode assures Nigerians

    A former minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode has said President Muhammadu Buhari is the next in line to resign from office.

    This follows the resignation of South African President, Jacob Zuma on Wednesday after pressure to from the ruling party.

    Fani-Kayode in his tweets on Wednesday night said it was time for African leaders who were so engrossed with power to step down

    He wrote “First Mugabe went. Now Zuma is going.

    “Next Buhari will go. After that Biya and Museveni will go.

    “All these dinosaurs from the distant past fell in love with power and have refused to step down with dignity.

    “What is it about African leaders and power?”

  • Reconciliation of APC: Buhari trying to destroy Tinubu – Fani-Kayode

    Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister, on Tuesday reacted to President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that Bola Tinubu, National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, should reconcile aggrieved party members.

    The Peoples Democratic Party’s chieftain stressed that Buhari was only trying to destroy the former Lagos State Governor by giving him such task.

    In a tweet, the former Minister said Buhari ,after destroying Tinubu will also blame him for the failure of the party.

    Fani-Kayode wrote: “When a king wants to destroy his top general, he sends him on a mission that is impossible to achieve or to a battle that can’t be won.

    “Sending BAT to settle differences between APC members is mission impossible. And the objective is to destroy him and blame him for its failure.”

    Buhari had earlier directed Tinubu to lead a reconciliation process of aggrieved party members across the country.

    The directive, according to the President is aimed at improving the cohesion within the ruling APC.