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Tag: raid

  • Like EFCC, DSS, Buhari’s minister distances self from raid on Justice Odili’s home

    Like EFCC, DSS, Buhari’s minister distances self from raid on Justice Odili’s home

    Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has explained that he was not involved in the raid on the Abuja residence of a Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili.

    Security operatives earlier on Friday stormed the residence of Justice Odili claiming that they received information on “illegal activities” in the house.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the Department of State Services (DSS) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier denied involvement in the raid on the justice’s home.

    In a similar vein, the minister in a statement on Saturday said as the Attorney General of the Federation he will not be associated with “an apparent in-elegant and nasty court process” of which the search warrant, presented by the security operatives, was procured.

    He also picked faults in the details of the search warrant noting that the reference to “Ministry of Justice” was ambiguous and without clarifying as to whether it is Federal or State Ministry and of which State.

    The search warrant documents presented by the security operatives and made available to journalists read that it was granted to the Joint Panel Recovery unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice

    Malami, in the statement, however, clarified that there is nothing called “Joint Panel Recovery Under the Ministry of Justice” in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and by extension the entire Federal Ministry of Justice.

    According to him, what the Ministry has is “Assets Recovery and Management Unit” and its mandate does not include stings operations.

    He stressed that there are “numerous incongruities” in the documents thereby revealing traces of criminal actions.

    SEE MALAMI’S FULL STATEMENT BELOW…

     

    Justice Odili: I was not involved, Count me Out, says Malami

    Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN was not in any way connected with the fabrications and concocted lies linking him to the ensued imbroglio relating to news stories about the residence of a Justice of the Supreme Court; Justice Mary Odili.

    This is made known in a statement by Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and made available to newsmen on Saturday the 30th day of October, 2021.

    He said the clarification to debunk the mischievous publication became imperative in view of the media hype and the dimension the story is taking.

    It is important to set the record straight that as the Chief Law Officer of the Federation, Malami will not stoop too low to be associated with an apparent in-elegant and nasty court process on the strength of which the purported search warrant was procured.

    The media reports on the issue depict too untidy process that could never emanate from the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

    The general public need to know that there was nothing called “Joint Panel Recovery Under the Ministry of Justice” in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and by extension the entire Federal Ministry of Justice.

    What we have is “Assets Recovery and Management Unit” the mandate of which does not include stings operations.

    Numerous incongruities in the documents being circulated in relation to the saga reveal traces of criminal actions which particular regards to:

    1. The name as contained on the purported letter headed paper “Ghost’s Account For Local Whistle Blowers & Assets Tax Recovery Panel”,
    2. The ambiguous reference to “Ministry of Justice” without clarifying as to whether it is Federal or State Ministry and of which State,
    3. The claimed office address which as revealed by the letter headed paper is not the address of the Federal Ministry of Justice
    4. Email address used on the letter

    All these deductions would have assisted a discerning mind to arrive at a reasonable conclusion of criminal undertones associated with the court process on the basis of which the purported search warrant was procured.

    The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has since reached out to the relevant authorities for an intensified wider investigation on the matter for necessary actions leading to the prosecution of anyone involved in the matter in view of the fact that the only names on record from the process filed in court are a purported police officer who claimed to be “O/C Assets Recovery Team” and one Aliyu Umar a deponent in the affidavit.

    The claim of the chief magistrate as reported by a section of the media to the effect that he was being misled by office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice into the issuance of the search warrant is equally forwarded to the relevant investigation agencies to ascertain veracity or otherwise of the purported association of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and which officer if any in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is associated with such claimed misrepresentation.

    Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu

    (Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations

    Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice)

    Saturday 30th October, 2021

  • PANDEF restates position on restructuring, condemns raid on Sunday Igboho’s house

    PANDEF restates position on restructuring, condemns raid on Sunday Igboho’s house

    The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has condemned the bloody midnight raid on the residence of a Yoruba Rights Activist, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, in Ibadan, Oyo State, by agents of the Department of State Services (DSS) during which innocent citizens were killed and properties destroyed.

    PANDEF in a communique issued at the end of its meeting on Friday, by its National Leader and former Federal Minister of information, Pa Edwin Clark said they are in solidarity with Afenifere, and the South-West people, on this matter.

    The Forum called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately call to order the security agencies and cease all forms of flagrant abuse of power.

    PANDEF which hopes that IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu will be given a fair and open trial, requested that the Federal government should tell Nigerians the truth of the process which led to the abduction, and his clandestine, forceful repatriation to Nigeria.

    The group also warns that the reported identification of sponsors of Nnamdi Kanu, should not be an alibi to witch-hunt and persecute phantom enemies imagined by the government.

    The communique reads, “PANDEF Stands, firmly, in solidarity with the people of the Middle Belt Region, in the face of brutal physical attacks and seeming plans to destroy their every means of livelihood, by suspected Fulani gunmen. Restates its position on the Restructuring of the Country, and insists that Nigeria cannot continue in the present trajectory of a flawed Constitution and undemocratic tendencies of those operating it.

    “Further decries the continued neglect, even outright abandonment, of critical infrastructural projects in the Niger Delta Region, by the Federal Government, such as the East-West Road; the Gas Revolution Industrial Park, Ogidigben and the Omadinor-Escravos Road projects both in Delta State; the Calabar – Ikot Ekpene Road; amongst several others.

    “Strongly condemns the unending span of an Interim Management for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the detriment of the Region. Warns that the situation threatens the peace and stability of the Region, and therefore, calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute the Board and Management of the NDDC, in line with the Act establishing the Commission, without any further delay. Maintains its resolve to engage with all critical stakeholders of the Niger Delta Region, irrespective of political inclinations, in its efforts to foster unity, lasting peace, security and sustainable development of the Region, for the benefit of the present and future generations.”

  • PDP raises alarm over alleged raid of Gov Umahi’s Abuja residence

    The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the invasion of the Abuja residence of Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, reportedly by security operatives said to have been detailed by top authorities.

    The party, in a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary, described the invasion as felonious, a direct attack on democratic order and vicious violation of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which could not be justified under any guise.

    “The PDP holds that the development is a provocative assault on the sensibility, integrity and constitutional freedom of not only the people of Ebonyi state, but also the Forum of Governors and millions of PDP members and supporters across the country.

    “Our party notes that this invasion, which has the same paw prints of an earlier attack on the residence of Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state, leaves no one in doubt of a deliberate assault targeted at outspoken opposition leaders, including PDP governors.

    “The PDP is particularly vexed by the stance of our security agencies, particularly their failure to wade into the matter with the seriousness it deserves and bring the culprits and masterminds to book. This situation has heightened public suspicions of high-level conspiracy as well as swelled apprehensions over the safety of the lives of the governor and members of his family,” the party said.

    According to PDP “Our party therefore charges the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to immediately apprehend those behind the invasion as well as beef up security around the governor and his family members.

    “The PDP however charges Governor Umahi and other leaders elected on the platform of the party to remain undeterred in their commitment to development, justice and the wellbeing of the people, despite the unwarranted assaults.”

  • EFCC confirms raid on Atiku’s sons’ apartment, explains why

    EFCC confirms raid on Atiku’s sons’ apartment, explains why

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday confirmed that a building housing the apartment occupied by two sons of the 2019 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar was raided over the weekend.

    However, the anti-graft office denied that the raid had was politically motivated.

    The building in the highbrow Maitama neighbourhood also houses an apartment occupied by sons of Theodore Orji, the former governor of Abia State who has been under corruption investigation by the EFCC.

    In a statement Monday afternoon, the EFCC said the raid was strictly targeted at Mr Orji’s sons, some of whom were arrested and their cars confiscated.

    “The recent arrest of Ogbonna Orji, son of Sen. Theodore Orji, over money laundering, has absolutely nothing to do with son of ex-VP Atiku Abubakar.

    “The former Abia governor has been under investigations by the EFCC, for money laundering activities, which was discovered to have been carried out through his sons.

    “The EFCC had been on the trail of cars allegedly bought by the sons, and last Friday the cars were traced to a night club in Abuja, where operatives waited patiently through the night to arrest the owners – Ogbonna and his friend, Kelvin Ilonah.

    “They were arrested at about 5am on Saturday, and they led operatives to their three-flat apartment, where documents retrieved showed that it was rented at a rate of N13million per annum.

    “They have so far given useful information to the EFCC, which is aiding in investigations. It should be made clear that the EFCC never “went after” Atiku’s sons, neither was Atiku’s son arrested by the EFCC,” a string of tweets by the EFCC said in full.

  • NDLEA operatives shoot pupil, guard, two others in Lagos Island raid

    No fewer than four persons, including a pupil and a security guard of Dolphin High School, Lagos Island, have been reportedly shot by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

    The pupil, whose identity had yet to be ascertained, was said to have died from the injury he sustained, while the school guard, Godwin Nsidieti, lost his left eye to the gunshots.

    Two other victims, a civil servant and a man said to be a resident of Igunu Street, Nurudeen Animashaun, were also affected.

    According to a report by The Punch, the NDLEA operatives had stormed Tapa Street, Lagos Island, in two Hilux vans around 8am on Tuesday, April 17, to arrest suspected drug peddlers.

    They reportedly parked their vehicles at a junction opposite the school.

    While they were raiding Patey, a neighbouring street, they were said to have been repelled by some youths.

    The anti-narcotic officials started shooting indiscriminately during which a bullet hit the pupil who was said to be going to school.

    The guard had reportedly come out of his security post on hearing gunshots when he was hit in the eye.

    The operatives reportedly fled the area, while two of the victims were rushed to the Lagos Island General Hospital for treatment.

    A resident, who gave his name only as Raphael said the NDLEA officials arrested a cripple during the raid.

    He said, “Men of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad from Ikeja had earlier raided the community that day. No sooner had they left than the NDLEA men came in through Tapa Street in two Hilux vans.

    “They were in mufti and some boys tried to chase them away. As they started shooting, they hurriedly wore their jackets with NDLEA inscribed on them.

    “Before we knew what was happening, the school guard and a pupil had been felled by bullets. A civil servant and another man (Animashaun) also sustained injuries. The officials quickly entered their vans and ran away.

    “We learnt that the pupil later died. The principal of Dolphin High School said the pupil was not known in the school. We have been trying to locate his address. The officials that perpetrated the act must be brought to book. They arrested two residents.”

    An eyewitness, who begged not to be named, said the NDLEA officials shot directly as people, who were going to their places of work, scampered to safety.

    He stated that policemen from the Area A Command, Lion Building, were deployed in the scene after a distress call.

    “One of the victims, Nurudeen (Animashaun), has just been discharged from the Lagos Island General Hospital. The school guard has been referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Ikeja because his condition is critical. A pupil was also shot and I learnt he died,” he added.

    Godwin’s younger brother, Anthony Nsidieti, said he pleaded with the NDLEA operatives to cease fire after his brother had been gunned down, but his entreaties fell on deaf ears.

    He said, “I was around the Abari Cemetery when the NDLEA officials started shooting. My brother heard the gunshots and came out of the school gate to find out what was happening. People were calling my brother’s name. I rushed there and met him inside the gutter.

    “I hid in a corner and begged them to stop shooting so I could take my brother away. As some people wanted to join me to rescue him, they started shooting again. In the process, a pupil and civil servant were shot. The boy’s mother came to carry him.

    “While I was with my brother at the Lagos Island General Hospital, the Area Commander, Area A Command, came and promised to identify those who shot him. From the hospital, he was taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, but he was rejected. We then took him to LASUTH, where we were told that the bullet had destroyed his left eye.”

    Anthony said two surgeries had been carried out on his brother, lamenting that the family had spent about N1.5m.

    “He will do the third surgery this week. When I went to the hospital on Friday, we were told that he would spend about two months more,” he added.

    The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Jonah Achema, promised to get back to our correspondent when contacted on the incident. He, however, had yet to do so as of press time.

    But the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, confirmed the shooting, adding that two persons were injured.

    He said, “We have written to the NDLEA in Lagos to produce the officials that went for that operation for questioning and we are awaiting a response. The two victims are alive and responding to treatment at the Lagos Island General Hospital and LASUTH respectively.”

     

  • Air Force raids degraded Boko Haram insurgents – COAS

    Air Force raids degraded Boko Haram insurgents – COAS

    The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, on Friday said the service had carried out air raids causing heavy damage to the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.

    Sadiq told newsmen in Maiduguri that several air raids were conducted under the Operation Ruwan Wuta II, designed as a final onslaught on the insurgents.

    “The whole idea is to further degrade the capacity of the Boko Haram insurgents and to make sure that we get them where they are hiding.

    “And in the last few days it has been very successful, we have been able to substantially effect the necessary damage and frustrate any effort for them to re-group in certain areas of Sambisa Forest”.

    Sadiq disclosed that the Federal Government had procured aircrafts and helicopters to enhance air operations in the campaign against the Boko Haram insurgents as well as protect lives and property.

    He said that the newly acquired jets and helicopters would soon be deployed to the front line to enhance the counter-insurgency operation in the region.

    The Chief of Air Staff added that the service had constructed residential accommodation and upgraded the apron at 105 Composite Group, Maiduguri to accommodate the increasing number of war planes.

    Sadiq explained that the projects were designed to provide enabling environment and decent accommodation to improve the wellbeing of the servicemen.

    “The Federal Government has approved more aircraft for us and we are thinking ahead to see that we have the accommodation for those coming with these helicopters and aircrafts the government has procured for us.

    “With more aircrafts you have to expand the parking space; we have reactivated a quite a number and more are coming, what we thought was to quickly expand the apron so that we have enough space for the aircrafts that are coming to be able to park.

    “For us in the Air Force; we are always working, training, expanding infrastructure, building capacity for both the pilots, technicians and engineers”.

    While lauding the government’s gesture, Sadiq also commended the servicemen for their dedication and gallantry in the counter-insurgency operation.

     

    NAN

     

  • Malabu Oil scandal: Police raid ex-Minister Adoke’s house

    About 10 policemen from the Force Headquarters on Friday invaded the house of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN).

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that after the one-hour search, there was no money or incriminating documents found.

    The ex-minister ,reacting to the development, said it was the fourth time he would be subjected to search.

    Adoke alleged that the searches were in “furtherance of an orchestrated plan to harass, intimidate and generally prevent me from pursuing my suit against the Federal Government.

    The policemen, according to eyewitnesses, stormed Adoke’s country home in the Government Reserved Area (GRA), Okene, at about 4.15pm allegedly looking for cash.

    The search, which was conducted under tight security, ended at about 5.15pm.

    It was learnt that the policemen included eight from the Force Headquarters in Abuja, one from the Area Command in Okene and another belongs to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Federal).

    Apart from pistols and rifles, the policemen also mobilized diggers and axes for use to gain entrance into the residence.

    The ex-minister’s relations, led by Mr. Abdul Adoke(a junior brother), cooperated with the team.

    Abdul said: “The policemen presented a search warrant obtained from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Gudu in Abuja. Their leader identified himself as a police officer from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, but he refused to disclose his identity.

    “They said they came to screen the duplex based on some clues. They came with pistols and rifles, but there was no resistance from our family. We obliged the policemen their request.

    “I quickly mobilized all the security men in the area to witness the search. They ransacked the house from the Boys’ Quarters to the Guest Room and the ex-minister’s master bedroom and the wife’s bedroom.

    “They also climbed the surface tank and the roof at the pent house. They also frisked all the upholstery chairs in the house and the dining set.

    “After about one-hour search, they said nothing was found in the house. They wrote a report which I and three others countersigned, indicating that there was no cash or document retrieved from the residence.”

    Yesterday’s incident was the third time Adoke went through such a search.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had raided the ex-minister’s residence in Kano on April 12, 2017.

    Also, on May 6, 2017, the Nigeria Police team invaded the three-bedroom bungalow of Alhaji Bashir Adoke, the junior brother of the former minister.

    The EFCC had filed charges against the ex-AGF, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Dan Etete, a businessman, Aliyu Abubakar and eight others over the auctioning of Malabu Oil Block.

    The others are Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited; Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited; ENI SPA; Malabu Oil and Gas Limited; Ralph Wetzels (ex- Director of SNEPCO); Casula Roberto (Italian) whilst being the Director of AGIP; Pujatti Stefeno (Italian) while being the Director in AGIP; and Burafato Sebastiano (Italian).

    Also sued was his successor, AGF Abubakar Malami (SAN), over the Settlement Agreement of the controversial $1.09billion Malabu Oil Block (OPL 245).

    He asked the court to declare that he acted on the agreement based on the directives of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

    He urged the court to declare his ongoing prosecution by the EFCC on account of carrying out the lawful directives of the former President as illegal, null and void.

    He said he could not be held personally liable for carrying out the lawful directives of the former President.

    In a statement, which he personally signed, Adoke faulted the latest search and described it as an attempt to intimidate him.

    He said: “I have just been informed that my country home in Okene, Kogi State, built some 12 years ago was today 14th July, 2017 thoroughly searched by men of the Nigeria Police Force. Armed with a Search Warrant from the High Court of the FCT sitting at Gudu District, Abuja, the 12 policemen searched the whole building, including the overhead and underground water tank, septic tanks, the penthouse and Boys Quarters apparently looking for foreign currency (dollars and pound sterling) and other unspecified documents.

    “However, unlike previous searches, which were conducted in the crudest manner with the aim of needlessly destroying property, these policemen conducted themselves professionally and were civil in their approach, thereby giving credence to the new image of the force as a reformed institution.

    “At the end of the almost two-hour search, no incriminating thing was found in the house and a report to that effect was duly prepared and witnessed by those who were present, including my junior brother, Abdullahi Adoke.

    “This will be the 4th time my home will be subjected to search at the instance of Nigeria’s law enforcement personnel. It will be recalled that my student home in The Hague, Netherlands was searched at the instance of the EFCC.

    “This was followed by the search of my country home in Kano and the search of my junior brother’s house also in Okene and today’s search of my own home in Okene. While all these searches have been futile in the sense that nothing incriminating was found, the law enforcement personnel still persist in this fruitless exercise.

    “I am, therefore, convinced that the searches are in furtherance of an orchestrated plan to harass, intimidate and generally prevent me from pursuing my suit against the federal government.

    “ I served Nigeria diligently as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for five years and two months and I am proud of the modest achievements I recorded in the Justice and other sectors that my inputs impacted.

    “I am, therefore, utterly surprised that at the end of my service, agencies of the state, especially the EFCC, have chosen to align with those with personal grudges and scores to settle with me for refusing to allow my office to be used in their fight to gain ownership and control of OPL 245 granted to Malabu Oil and Gas Limited.

    “I am, however, certain that at the appropriate time, all those behind my travails will be exposed and shamed.

    “By the grace of God, Nigerians will be made aware of the ignoble roles some of their so-called leaders are playing in furtherance of their personal interests in the guise of fighting corruption,” the former AGF said.

  • Why we raided Sun Newspaper – EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why its officials invaded the office of The Sun Newspapers.

    The commission said the raid was part of routine efforts to ascertain the state of the assets of the publishing company, which is subject of subsisting interim forfeiture order.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that operatives of the EFCC, in the early hours of Monday invaded the headquarters of paper thereby disrupting normal activities and circulation of the papers.

    This was contained in a statement released by the agency’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, on Monday.

    He denied allegations that the EFCC raided the media company because the acting Chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Magu, was fighting the newspaper over a March publication accusing him of corruption.

    “Operatives of the EFCC in the early hours of June 12, 2017, visited the head office of the Sun Newspaper in Lagos.

    “The visit, which lasted for less an hour, was part of routine efforts to ascertain the state of the assets of the publishing company which is subject of subsisting interim forfeiture order

    “Prior to the visit, the commission had written to the management of the company to account for its management of the assets for the period of the subsisting court order.

    “The commission still awaits the response of The SUN and will not be distracted by any attempt to whip up sentiments by alluding to an appeal which has been pending for ten years. The commission’s action is without prejudice to any appeal and only meant to verify the integrity of the assets,” the statement read in part.

    The EFCC denied allegations that it harassed and molested staff of the newspaper.

    The statement added: “Contrary to claims in a statement released to the media by the management of The SUN, no employee of the media outfit was molested or intimidated for the few minutes that operatives of the commission spent in the premises of the company.

    “The claim that ‘EFCC operatives subjected our staff to crude intimidation, psychological and emotional trauma, even as some of the men accused our organisation of publishing pro-Biafra, Boko Haram, and Niger Delta Militant stories,’ is strange and clearly the figment of the imagination of the Sun.

    “There was no reason to molest anybody as the commission has always related professionally with the publishing outfit. The attempt also to link the visit to the acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu’s, threat to sue the organisation over a libellous publication is also diversionary.

    “Magu is pursuing that option in his private capacity and his lawyer, Wahab Shittu, did write The SUN and his letter was widely published in the media on March 31, 2017.”