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Witness narrates how ex-CBN Gov Emefiele approved $6.2m for international election observers

Published

6 months ago

February 13, 2024

The first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Ogau Onyeka Michael, on Monday, February 12, 2024, told Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, how the ex-CBN boss approved the payment of $6,230,000 in cash for international election observers in the last 2023 general election.

Michael made the revelation while testifying at the ongoing trial of Emefiele. The former CBN boss is standing trial before Justice Muazu on 20-count amended charges bordering on corrupt advantages, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and obtaining by false pretences to the tune of $6,230,000.

At the resumed trial on Monday, Michael, a former branch controller of the CBN, Abuja branch, was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who identified the documents presented to him by the prosecution, adding that he worked on the documents.

According to him, on January 8, 2023, a request for payment of $6,230,000 came to his office, and documents for the disbursement of the money in cash for international election observers were approved by the then-CBN boss.

“My Lord, all requests for payments are usually channelled to the branch controller, and that is my office. And on that day, My Lord, the request to my office was $6,230,000, and my attention was drawn towards it by my office assistant. It came from the Banking Services Department, and the memo carried the signature of the Director, Banking Services, with an instruction to the branch controller to pay the sum of $6,230,000 to a staff of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, bearing the name and identity card of the person,” he said.

Continuing, Michael explained that: “It stated that the payment was for election observance and be paid cash in the naira equivalent of the said amount. It further stated that the money should be refunded in the second quarter of 2023 by the Federal Ministry of Finance. My Lord, the document also stated that ‘find attached the approval of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria for the payment’.

“Also, the memo had an attached approval of the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation and that of the then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Having gone through the document and satisfied that it met the requirement, I then minuted it to the head of the Banking Services Unit for processing and subsequent payment. Mr. Williams, Head of Banking Services, compiled and made the payment on April 8, 2023, and the payment was in cash. I can identify the document because it also carries my signature.”

Oyedepo, while trying to tender all six documents as exhibits, told the court that two of the documents that had the former SGF and the President’s approval were photocopies and therefore sought to tender the remaining four, which were original, praying that the remaining two be tendered later in the course of the trial. He also asked the court for a 30-minute stand-down to go to the CBN complex and secure the original copies.

Defence counsel, Mathew Bukka, SAN, objected to Oyedepo’s prayers, arguing that since the case was slated for February 12 and 13, he moved that the matter be adjourned till February 13, arguing further that the 30 minutes sought by Oyedepo wouldn’t be enough for the prosecution to secure the original documents from the CBN.

After listening to their arguments, Justice Muazu adjourned the matter until February 13, 2024, for the continuation of the trial.

News

Po!n, betting sites recorded 162m Nigerian visitors in June – Report

Published

3 hours ago

July 27, 2024

Admin

A report by global data and business intelligence platform, StatiSense, has revealed that more than 162 million Nigerians visited porn and betting websites in June 2024.

According to the platform’s most recent data, which lists the top ten websites that Nigerians saw on their mobile devices in June, a sizable percentage of this traffic visited websites with gambling and pornographic content.

A post on StatiSense’s official X page revealed that a variety of search engines, social media apps, and betting platforms were among the most popular websites.

Notably, two pornographic websites, Xvideos and Xnxx, came in second and sixth place respectively with a total of 80.18 million visits.

In addition, Nigerian mobile users visited sporting websites 176.83 million times. Of these, 83.1 million visits were allocated to sports betting sites Sportybet and Bet9ja, which secured third and fourth places on the list.

Google and Facebook were also among the sites that featured prominently in the report.

News

Reps hail Wike, Tamuno over AICL’s improved revenue, infrastructure

Published

3 hours ago

July 27, 2024

Admin

Members of the House of Representatives’ Committee on FCT, led by Hon. Aliyu Muktar Betara have applauded the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike over ongoing infrastructural development projects across the nation’s capital city.

The lawmakers who spoke during an interactive session with the Group Managing Director of Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL), Dr. Maureen Tamuno applauded her ingenuity towards improved revenue generation since her assumption of office.

While presenting her scorecard and strategy adopted in the turnaround of Abuja Investment Company Limited to the Committee, Dr. Tamuno disclosed that AICL only manages the district markets, not the entire markets across the territory.

According to her, Wuse Markets is owned 90 percent by the individuals who bought the shops while AICL owns 10 percent.

“For example, Wuse Market is owned 90 percent by the owners, we own 10 percent. What Abuja Management does for Wuse market is to manage the facility there through the toll taking which they do collect on our behalf and then they manage the facilities, they manage the refuse collections and they also work with the market association.”

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Tinubu serious in solving economic crisis — Wike

Published

3 hours ago

July 27, 2024

Admin

Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on Friday said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is serious in solving the economic crisis in the country.

Wike gave the assurance during the inspection of the ongoing construction of the 7.3 kilometers Gaba/Tokulo road in Bwari Area Council.

He pleaded with Abuja residents to give the present administration the needed support to deliver the dividends of democracy.

Addressing reporters during the inspection visit, the FCT Minister expressed satisfaction with the speed and quality of work on the road project and assured that it will be adequately funded to ensure its timely completion by December this year.

The Minister who revealed that the project was 40 percent complete, said about 70 percent of the contractual sum has been paid to the contractor by the FCT Administration and expressed confidence in the capacity of the contractor to deliver the project within the agreed schedule.

Wike further disclosed that the Gaba/Tokulo road, when completed, will not only enhance transportation in the rural parts of the FCT, but will also improve food security in the nation’s capital by providing access to the farmlands, as well as access to the markets.

He also stressed the commitment of the FCT Administration to providing infrastructure in the FCT Area Councils, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Wike said: “So many people have thought that we are only concentrating in the city. Yesterday, we were in Saburi, today we are in Bwari. Tomorrow, we will be in Kuje, so that people will understand that while we are doing in the city, we are also carrying out development in the satellite towns and the rural areas because by the Renewed Hope Agenda, development is not only to be concentrated within the city but also to take to the rural areas in order to improve the economy.

“Here is an agrarian area; without this road, how are they going to move their goods? And this is part of the problems we have in terms of food insecurity. People are talking about shortages of food, but if we don’t have means of transportation, that is also a problem.

“We are trying to solve that problem of transportation for farmers to be able to go and bring whatever they have produced for people to consume or to buy”.

Wike, while thanking the people of Bwari for their support for the government, also reiterated that President Tinubu was committed to addressing the economic problems of the country and called for their continued support.

He said: “We thank the people of Bwari and we want to also let them know that the government of President Tinubu is serious about solving the economic crisis we have. All we urge Nigerians is just to be patient.