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Emefiele regains freedom, meets bail conditions
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele has been released after meeting the bail conditions granted him by the court.
Emefiele, who arrived at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja in custody of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday, left for his home after the court proceedings.
Justice Rahman Oshodi, who ruled on his bail application, admitted him to bail in the sum of N50m with two sureties in like sum.
Shortly after the court granted him bail, trial started with the EFCC calling its first prosecution witness.
The witness, a staff of the CBN, Monday Osazuwa, told the court how the former apex bank’s governor on different occasions, directed him to collect the sum of $3 million cash in tranches.
Led-in-evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the witness narrated to the court how he served as a dispatch rider in Zenith Bank, after which he joined the apex bank as well as the many errands he ran for the former CBN governor.
He said: “I joined the CBN in 2014 as a contract staff and became staff in 2015. I knew the first defendant when he was a Deputy Director of Zenith Bank, and he later became Director. I worked with him since then.
“I was still working in the governor’s office while I was appointed as a full staff, and we usually communicate through WhatsApp and Emails. I performed as a senior supervisor, recording and filing with other official roles”.
He also testified that sometime in 2020, the first defendant sent him on errand.
“When he called me, he directed that I should call a businessman who gave me $1 million dollars on his behalf. Some weeks later, the first defendant also called me that I should meet the man and he gave me $850,000, $750,000 and $400,000 cash in tranches”.
Osazuwa further confirmed to the court that he knew Dumies Oil and Gas Limited while he was in Zenith Bank Plc. He added that that former CBN governor, who was also the Managing Director of the company, always sent him to collect cheques from one Mr. Monday.
The witness told the court that he always logged the money into the account of Dumies on the order of Emefiele.
When he was asked where the second defendant resides, he responded that Henry Isioma Omoile lived in the residence of the former CBN governor.
He said: “Whenever I receive the money and take it to the residence of Mr Emefiele. He always tells me to give it to the second defendant whenever he was not at home.
“I did not keep record of transactions because the instruction he gave me was that, I should collect the money and bring the money to his house. The highest amount I collected is $1 million all in cash.
“He has never for one day said take this. I have never been rewarded, paid or given anything because I am doing it out of faithfulness and he knows I am faithful to him”.
The witness was cross-examined by the defendant’s counsel, Abdulakeem Labi-Lawal.
The witness confirmed to the court that he had been working with the defendant since 2002 but he could not say the precise number of years or months he had seen the second defendant.
Osazuwa said that he was sure that Omoile had been living in Emefiele’s house for some months.
He affirmed that Emefiele passed instructions to him through the second defendant and that he had been collecting cheques for Dumies Oil and Gas.
“I started collect collecting cheques for Dummies Oil and Gas when I was in Zenith Bank. I cannot calculate the exact year I have been collecting the cheques but it all started when the first defendant was the MD at Zenith Bank and I was working at Zenith Bank Plc”.
The witness told the court that when he was made to confront the second defendant during investigation, the second defendant did not admit that instructions were passed through him.
Before the witness testified, Justice Oshodi turned down a request for adjournment made by the defence counsel.
He ruled that the request for adjournment was unjustified.
The court has adjourned to April 29 for continuation of trial and for hearing of some applications requesting a closed session for some of the prosecution’s witnesses.
By Ojomah Austin.
The evolving fall-out, which comes barely days to the contentious National Executive Committee (NEC) of PDP, followed a back and forth between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike and the Governors forum, who declared support for Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara to be made leader of the party in the state.
After a meeting with some members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in Bauchi on Wednesday, Governor Mohammed, said “According to our party’s constitution, any leadership vacancy should be filled by someone from the region where it originated,” stressing that Damagum would be replaced soon considering that he hails from North East and not the North Central.
Same day, Makinde, during the groundbreaking of the upgrading of Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan, to an international airport, which was attended by another set of NWC members, led by Damagum, said he would support whatever decision the Damagum-led NWC would take to reposition the party.
Damagum, who is considered a close ally of Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, was appointed acting national chairman after the removal of Iyorchia Ayu in June 2023.
Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP led by Senator Adolph Wabara, met with members of the National Assembly caucus in Abuja.
The close door meeting comes barely hours after the BoT met with Wike in Abuja.
While Wabara refused to comment on the essence of the meeting with the lawmakers, it was noticed that most of the lawmakers didn’t honour the invitation.
By Mario Deepromoter
Sad development in Marika village, Kiyawa Local Government, Jigawa, where a 40-year-old man, Jibrin Adamu, committed suicide by hanging himself.
According to eyewitnesses, Adamu’s lifeless body was discovered in a classroom at Miftahul Khairat Islamiyya and Primary School Gurdiba on Thursday.
Police spokesperson DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam confirmed the incident, stating that preliminary investigations revealed Adamu had struggled with mental health issues.
“Police received a report on Thursday that at about 1830hrs, a tragic incident was reported at the Command headquarters that one Jibrin Adamu ‘m’ age 40yrs of Jigawar Maroka village, Kiyawa LGA has committed suicide by hanging himself over the ceiling at Islamiyya school,” the Police spokesperson told Daily Post.
The Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, CP AT Abdullahi, has instructed officers to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.
By Mario Deepromoter
11plc, Total Energies, AA Rano, and other marketers have begun lifting Dangote Petrol through Nigerian National Company (NNPC) Trading Limited for N765.99 to retail outlets nationwide.
Findings showed some petroleum marketers who were able to complete their payment process on the NNPC trading payment portal commenced the lifting of petrol earlier this week under the existing agreement between marketers and the refinery.
Tunji Oyebanji, managing director, 11Plc confirmed to BusinessDay on Thursday evening that some marketers have started lifting the products at N765.99 from Dangote Refinery through NNPC who remain the sole off-taker of product.
“We were among the first marketers to complete the payment on the NNPC portal. We have no direct arrangement with the refinery,” Oyebanji said.
It was gathered that NNPC Retail, 11plc, Total Energies, A.A Rano are among the marketers that have picked up products from the refinery.
He added, “We don’t know the contractual financial arrangement between NNPC and the refinery but what I can confirm is we are buying at N765.99 from NNPC to lift Dangote petrol”.
Efforts to get the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to confirm if its members have picked up products at the Dangote Refinery proved abortive at the time of writing this report.
See also Nigeria’s Petrol Landing Cost Revealed
Adedapo Segun, executive vice-president, downstream at NNPC said marketers cannot purchase petrol directly from the refinery because the product is still sold at a subsidised rate.
“That is the same thing happening with Dangote. I said earlier that Dangote is a company and it is going to sell at market price,” he told Journalists.
According to Segun, “The market value of PMS is still higher than what N766 or N765 or N799 that NNPC is selling.
“The situation has not changed there. So, NNPC’s off-taking is only because the others would not buy at the price Dangote will be willing to sell, which is reasonable.
“As soon as the price allows for it, you will see the marketers go to Dangote and buy.”
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