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Tag: Looters List

  • Looters list: Court dismisses Nenadi Usman’s contempt application against Lai Mohammed

    Justice Mohammed Aikawa of a Federal High Court, Lagos, on Friday dismissed a contempt application filed by a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, against Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, over inclusion of her name in the ‘looters’ list.

    Mrs Usman is standing trial on allegations of money laundering alongside a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Chairman of the Association of Local Govenment of Nigeria, Yusuf Danjuma, and a company, Joint Trust Dimension Ltd.

    Mrs Usman had argued in the application that the inclusion of her name on the list released during the pendency of her trial, was contemptuous.

    She, therefore, initiated a suit against Mr Mohammed for alleged contempt of court, claiming that his action undermined the integrity of the court, and was aimed at poisoning the mind of the court.

    EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, had urged the court to refuse Mrs Usman’s application, arguing that the applicant was never referred to as a looter by the minister.

    He said that what was published by some newspapers only bordered on allegations, and could not be said to be prejudicial to the applicant’s case in court.

    In his ruling, Mr Aikawa upheld the submission of the prosecution that the right parties to the contempt suit were not before the court.

    According to him, the publications, which the applicant complained of, were made by media houses and not Mr Mohammed.

    He said that the right parties to be joined in the application were the media houses.

    The judge also held that a mere publication, which did not go to the substance of a case or directly affect proceedings before the court, could not be said to have interfered or influenced the mind of the court.

    The judge added that the publication was not an advertorial from Mohammed, and that he could not be held responsible for what was published by media houses.

    The judge, therefore, ruled that the publication was not prejudicial to the applicant’s case in court.

    He dismissed it for lacking merit.

    EFCC had re-arraigned the accused on a 17-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful retention of proceeds of theft and money laundering.

    According to the EFCC, in January 2015, the accused unlawfully retained a total sum of N4.6 billion, which they knew formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act.

    The court has adjourned until January 24 for continuation of trial.

  • Looters’ list not a violation of your rights, Court tells Dokpesi

    Looters’ list not a violation of your rights, Court tells Dokpesi

    The federal capital territory (FCT) high court sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has declared that the looters’ list released by the minister of information, Lai Mohammed, is not a violation of the rights of those named.
    In a ruling on Tuesday, the presiding judge, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, said the suit filed by Raymond Dokpesi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lacked merit.
    TheNewsGuru, TNG recalls that the media entrepreneur had filed a suit against the federal government for abusing his fundamental human rights with the inclusion of his name in the looters’ list where he was accused to have illegally received N2.1billion from the treasury.
    Dokpesi, in a pre-litigation letter dated April 4, 2018, had demanded a public apology and a payment of N500 million from Mohammed for defaming him.
    Justice Adeniyi said the disclosure of the alleged looters’ list by the minister on behalf of the federal government does not carry any force of law as the minister is neither the judge or the prosecutor in the criminal case pending before the federal high court against Dokpesi.
    The judge advised Dokpesi to rather seek a remedy through a libel/slander suit if he feels injured by the action of the minister.
    Justice Adeniyi adjourned the libel suit filed by Dokpesi against the minister till November 9.

  • PDP chieftain, Dokpesi’s U.S. visa revoked over looters list

    PDP chieftain, Dokpesi’s U.S. visa revoked over looters list

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Raymond Dokpesi’s United States (U.S.)visa has ben revoked because his name is on the looters list released by the Federal Government, the media mogul has said.

    He has sued Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who announced the list, seeking payment of N5billion damages.

    No date has been fixed for hearing the suit filed on Monday before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

    He is seeking N5billion damages for alleged defamation of character.

    Dokpesi said the defendants allegedly sent his name as a looter to the United States Embassy, which in turn notified him on March 16 that his visa had been revoked.

    The US Embassy, he said, told him it was because his name was among a looters list submitted to it by the Federal Government.

    The plaintiff said the publication of his name as a looter was malicious since he has not been convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction.

    Dokpesi prayed that the retraction and apology to him be published both in the social media and in newspaper and televisions stations.

    He is also praying for an order compelling the defendants, including Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami (SAN), to publish a full retraction of the defamatory publications and to apologise to him.

    In the suit by his lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Dokpesi is also praying for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants or their agents from further making any defamatory publications against him, and N50million as cost of the action.

    The publications, he said, have prejudiced his constitutionally guaranteed rights to presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and that his right to fair hearing as enshrined in the Constitution has been blatantly violated.

    “The defendants’ defamatory publications are malicious and calculated to overreach and prejudice my fair trial and for purposes of stampeding and cowing the court to convict me at all cost by agreeing with the defendants’ skewed position,” the plaintiff said.

    Dokpesi said on March 30, the defendants allegedly defamed him by publishing his name as treasury looter in a news conference on the basis that he is on trial for allegedly receiving N2.2billion from the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

  • Demand looters’ list from Buhari, SERAP tells Trump

    A human rights advocacy group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, has urged the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to demand from President Muhammadu Buhari a comprehensive list of looters of Nigeria’s treasury.

    It urged Trump to ban anyone whose name appears on the list from entering America.

    SERAP said this in an open letter to Trump ahead of Buhari’s visit to the American President on Monday.

    Such a ban, it said, was allowed by the American “Presidential Proclamation of 2004 that allows the US Department of State to deny visas to corrupt foreign officials, their families and friends.”

    SERAP’s Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said Trump would be helping Nigeria’s fight against corruption by invoking his “constitutional powers under the Presidential Proclamation 7750 to instruct the US Secretary of State to temporarily ban those named on the list and their family members from entering the US, pending the final determination of the cases against them.”

    The group said, “Applying the Presidential Proclamation 7750 would be very helpful to Nigeria’s efforts to fight grand corruption and end entrenched culture of impunity of perpetrators in the country.

    “It would also facilitate equivalent visa bans in other globally desirable locations as well. Limiting the abilities of suspected kleptocrats, their families, and friends to enter the US and enjoy their loot abroad will provide a significant crimp in their lifestyles.

    “Imposing targeted anticorruption sanctions against those accused of grand corruption in Nigeria would help to deter corrupt behaviour by high-ranking public officials. Such sanctions would not violate due process and presumption of innocence principles, if the reasons for the sanctions are communicated to those that may be affected.

    “Also, the cases of those found not guilty of corruption can be revisited, since the proposed travel suspension would be temporary until the final determination of their cases.

    “Our request meets the requirements of Proclamation 7750 because grand corruption in Nigeria, including the alleged stealing of public funds meant to fight Boko Haram, has had serious adverse effects on US foreign assistance goals in the country and undermined the stability of democratic institutions.

    “Proactive initiatives to combat global corruption have always been in the best long-term interests of the US. Therefore, your application of targeted anti-corruption sanctions would reaffirm US commitments to the global fight against corruption, help to supplement Nigeria’s criminal justice system, and be entirely consistent with the US obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption.

    “Nigeria has also ratified the Convention. SERAP believes that pervasive corruption is at the heart of the insecurity, under-development and extreme poverty in the country.”

  • Court bars FG from publishing Secondus’s name on looters list

    The Rivers State High Court has barred the Federal Government, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and other government agencies from further the name of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Uche Secondus on their looters’ list.

    The state Chief Judge, A. I . Iyayi- Lamikanra, gave the order in Port Harcourt on Monday when the case against the minister and the federal government brought by Secondus was heard

    Secondus’s special media assistant, Ike Abonyi, who was in court, said in a statement that although Mohammed or his representatives were not in the Port Harcourt court on Monday, the trial judge, Mr Iyayi- Lamikanra, directed the plaintiffs to serve the defendants the appropriate order of the court.

    Recall that the PDP National Chairman had sued the minister for defamation of character following the release of a looters list which had his name on it.

    Counsels to Secondus, Emeka Etiaba, leading Emeka Okpoko and Emeka Echezona-Etiaba, had filed a motion seeking to stop the Federal Government, the Minister or their agents from publishing the name of Secondus on their looters list as well as any other publication intended to further defame him.

    Earlier on April 6, the state Chief Judge had granted that the defendants be served by substituted means all the originating processes together with accompanying processes in Thisday newspaper.

    The case was adjourned to May 28 for continuation of hearing.

     

  • Looters list: FG, APC desperate to blackmail me – Secondus

    The National Chairman of the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government and ruling all progressives congress are desperate to frame him (Secondus) so as to silence him.

    In a statement signed by his media adviser, Ike Abonyi, Mr Secondus said blackmail and intimidation of the opposition by the federal government would not stop him from carrying out the reform of his party.

    Recall that the federal government released a list of looters in which the PDP chairman was alleged to have collected N200 million from the office of then National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

    “The attention of the media office of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Uche Secondus, has been drawn to the desperation of the federal government and its ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to frame him up with some blatant fabrications ostensibly to distract him from carrying out his responsibility of rebuilding his party.”

    The media office said Mr Secondus would ordinarily not join issues with the government on a matter already in court, “but regrettably the administration has great contempt for the court and the rule of law and has instead chosen to use blackmail and media persecution to defame and discredit their enemies.”

    This gimmick, according to Mr Secondus, has failed because Nigerians have come to know the antics of the “drowning” government.

    “In its desperation to forge documents and defame him, forgot to reconcile their lies; the Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the EFCC couldn’t agree on the date of the purported money collection and whether it was collected by him Secondus or by a faceless fictional Chukwura that has no surname.

    “While they may have embarked on a wide search since 2015 for the surname of the so-called aide of the National Chairman, Alhaji Mohammad claimed in his press conference on Good Friday March 29th, 2018 that Secondus collected the money on 19th of February, 2015, EFCC on their part on April 16th, 2018, eighteen days after said the money was collected on February 9th, 2015 and in another version still quoting the same EFCC claimed February 2, 2015.”

    The PDP chairman also described as unfortunate and tragic that an anti-corruption agency like EFCC founded and nurtured by PDP administration to tackle corruption in the system had turned itself into a “pawn” in the hands of APC administration to witchhunt and harass perceived enemies of government just to impress and keep job.

    He challenged the government and any agency with anything against him to bring such evidence to the court and stop character assassination in the media.

    “There’s no need to be talking about a case pending in court in the newspapers. If the government has anything to say, they should file it before the court as demanded.”

    He challenged the government to come out with the vouchers with which he was said to have signed, adding that such signature would also be subjected to forensic analysis.

    “I never collected any money from anywhere. I didn’t ask anyone to collect money for me as well and I didn’t sign any voucher to collect any money.

    “It is pure blackmail which will never work.

    “If they are cooking up anything, with the aim of blackmailing me, it will fail. I know that the task of uprooting this non-performing government would be horrendous. But God is always on the side of the people.

    “I can understand the frustration of a party that enjoyed enormous goodwill from Nigerians three years ago but got it squandered with its ‘nepotic’ and insensitive administration.

    “No amount of cheap blackmail and treachery will return the APC from the exit gate where Nigerians already pushed them to, awaiting 2019.

    “The departure date for the APC has already been announced and the flight schedule would not be cancelled, because Nigerians cannot wait to see them off,” the spokesperson said.

     

  • Looters’ Lists: APC, PDP Playing Games with the Lives of Nigerians – NIM

    …A case for the People’s Third Force

    The Grand National Coalition of the Nigeria Intervention Movement, NIM is awed and bewildered by the tragicomedy of accusations and counter accusations of looting the country’s treasury between the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC government and its counterparts in the People’s Democratic Party ,PDP, which was in government for 16 years.

    This unfortunate melodrama of kettle calling pot black was occasioned by a “looters’ list” said to have been released by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    The whole episode would have been laughable were it not tragic for our common existence as a country. The long awaited list itself, like the then list of nominated ministers has turned out to be predictably disappointing and commical as it contained only names of opposition politicians who are currently facing trial in law courts.

    The surprise, if any, is that no single name of key players from the PDP but managed to defect to the now ruling APC, including those who have been indicted by judicial commissions in their various States, was included. Expectedly, this has given the now opposition party, PDP the moral high ground to justify their alleged looting of our common patrimony.

    When a looters’ list would not include the names of pension thieves, IDP and Ikoyi cash stash fraudsters as well as indicted members of the ruling APC, then such list leaves much to be desired and posts a sad commentary on our avowed war against corruption thereby exposing our country to ridicule in the comity of nations!

    NIM sincerely believes that neither the political jesters in the APC nor their counterparts in PDP can take Nigeria to the promised land as their current subterfuges validate the necessity for the intervention of the third force movement whose political grand coalition was recently inaugurated in Abuja to provide an alternative revolutionary platform and leadership for toiling and exploited peoples of Nigeria to achieve their aspirations for a new prosperous and democratic country

    To this end, NIM hereby affirms that it is time for Nigerians to join forces together and take back their country through the PVC driven, ballot based revolution initiated by NIM for 2019 for the purpose of repositioning our pauperised Country, Nigeria back as a society that truly works and serves its citizens.

     

  • Looters’ list: FG compiles fresh names of former governors, ministers, others

    Indications emerged on Saturday that the Federal Government may release fresh names of people who allegedly looted Nigeria’s treasury under the former ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    Investigations revealed that the fresh list might contain names of those who have yet to be arraigned in courts for corruption.

    The list may also include names of former governors, ministers and even bankers.

    Recall that the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had in the past said 55 persons stole N1.34tn under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Last week, he released 29 names, who he said took money from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sabo Dasuki (retd.).

    Many of the names he released were, however, those already undergoing trial for alleged corruption while the names of members of the former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, who had defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress were conspicuously omitted from the list.

    The two lists contained names of those in the main opposition party, the PDP. The PDP had subsequently criticised the government, accusing it of being biased and diverting attention from its alleged incompetence.

    But a source close to the Presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the government, through the Ministry of Information and Culture, would soon release another list.

    He said that the next batch would be more comprehensive and would contain the names of those who either took money from the office of the former NSA or directly from the Federal Government before the 2015 elections.

    He said the government was aware of the controversy that surrounded the release of the first two lists, adding that the names of some persons considered to be close to the government could be in the third list.

    The source said, “Between you and me, I can authoritatively tell you that we are compiling a fresh list. We won’t release it until we are satisfied with it. We want to be thorough. People will be shocked when we release the fresh names.

    “Those who accused us of being biased will know that we know what we are doing. The first list was a fraction. When the second one came out, people were surprised. As for the next one, people will be shocked. I won’t say more than that,” the source explained.

     

  • Buhari’s government not sincere with looters’ list – Okowa

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has urged the federal government to include names of present and previous political office-holders, irrespective of political parties, who looted public funds, in the looters’ list.

    Okowa made the call at the inauguration of Episcopal House, Chapel of Resurrection Conference Hall and other residential blocks of the Anglican Communion, on Friday in Abuja.

    He said that the list of looters should not be limited to some people and should be done with honesty.

    “In whatever the government is doing, they should ensure that list of every person who has looted in governance is released. It should not be limited to any particular party.

    “It should not be held in such a manner that Nigerians will begin to think and have doubts, and I believe that in everything we do, we must be honest,’’ he said.

    Mr Okowa said that insecurity in terms of Boko Haram and herdsmen-farmers’ clashes had impacted negatively on the economy of the nation.

    He, however, called on Nigerians to work closely with security operatives so as to achieve positive result in securing the communities and the people.

    According to him, I believe that a lot has been done by the government at the states and local government levels in terms of security.

    “Until we begin to engage more of our youth to ease the level of unemployment, it may become very difficult for us to tackle the issues of insecurity in the country.

    “For the herdsmen-farmers clashes, a committee has just been inaugurated and there is a lot for us to talk about.

    “We must have a policy direction that will bring hope to the farmers and to also ensure some level of partnership in future.

    “There is no direct policy as it stands now and it is definitely going to be very problematic because we are calling on Nigerians to embrace agriculture.

    “If the farmers are not able to defend their produce, then obviously, there will be a major problem. I hope that very soon we will find a light of hope for going forward.’’

     

  • Looters list: Gov. Wike berates Buhari’s government

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that Nigerians are experiencing the height of irresponsibility in governance with the APC Federal Government refusal to obey the rule of law.

    The governor also declared that INEC as presently constituted is setting the stage for the rigging of the 2019 General Election. He noted that Rivers people have the capacity to resist INEC and APC rigging machine in Rivers State.

    Speaking during a Courtesy Visit by Civil Society Organisations of Rivers State on Thursday at the Government House Port Harcourt, Governor Wike said publishing the list of persons standing trial in courts and calling them looters is an unfortunate act of irresponsibility by the Federal Government.

    He said that the act of irresponsibility was worsened by the fact that APC leaders standing trial were excluded by the APC Federal Government.

    “This is an irresponsible Federal Government that has no respect for the rule of law. They have become the judge, the prosecutor in cases before courts.

    “All they want to do is tie the hands of judges to ensure all those standing trial are convicted at all costs”.

    The Rivers State Governor pointed out that the irresponsible list of looters excluded the name of the immediate past Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who was indicted by the court-approved Judicial Commission of Inquiry for embezzling over N90billion state funds.

    On the plot by INEC, Federal Government and Security Agencies to rig elections in Rivers State, Governor Wike said that available credible intelligence indicate that strategies have been mapped out by these illegal agents.

    He noted that Rivers State Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Mr Akin Fakorede was indicted by INEC in her official report for the rerun elections, but the commission made no attempt to prosecute him.

    The governor said instead of prosecuting Fakorede, he was promoted by the Police High Command to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police, posted to Yobe State and the posting cancelled for him to remain in Rivers State for planned electoral fraud.

    He said despite overwhelming evidence, INEC has refused to respond to the fraudulent release of two separate original Rivers East Senatorial District result sheets which led to use of Police for the theft of the people’s mandate.

    “Unfortunately for them, we have so much capacity to resist any attempt to manipulate the forthcoming elections”, he said.

    He noted that there is a plot to unleash violence on the state using SARS and other security agencies, so that the elections are not held alongside other states. He said this will pave way for their rigging plan.

    On the neighbourhood safety corps, he said that the Police and other security agencies will be involved in the recruitment of operatives.

    He wondered why some Rivers politicians derive pleasure in de-marketing the state, saying that they should re-direct their energies towards attracting projects to the state.

    Governor Wike affirmed that he will personally lead the charge to stop street trading in Port Harcourt beginning 12th April, 2018.

    On the issue of soot, he regretted that the APC Federal Government and her agencies have politicised the issue as they have refused to work with the Rivers State Government to curb the menace.

    “We have been fighting with the Federal Government that the military must find refined ways to destroy illegal refineries. We are not in charge of security agencies. They take their orders from Abuja”, he said.

    Earlier, the Leader of the Civil Society Organisations of Rivers State, Mr Sotonye George commended Governor Wike for fulfilling majority of his campaign promises.

    He said Civil Society Organisations of Rivers State will always partner with the Rivers State Government for the development of the state.