News
EFCC arraigns civil servant for tearing investigative documents
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
EFCC accused the Gombe State official in the lone charge of wilful obstruction of investigation activities and destruction of its official document.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Usman Mallam, a low cadre civil servant in the employ of the Gombe State Government, for allegedly obstructing a criminal investigation by tearing the commission’s letters of investigative activities.
The arraignment took place on 11 June at the Federal High Court in Gombe, the Gombe State capital, North-east Nigeria, a press statement by the EFCC said Thursday.
Mr Mallam, a desk officer in the Office of the Secretary to the Gombe State Government (SSG), pleaded not guilty to the charge.
He denied the allegations when he appeared before the trial judge, T.G. Ringim, for arraignment.
The statement signed by the Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, said Mr Mallam was arraigned on one charge of wilful obstruction of investigation activities and destruction of EFCC’s official document.
The prosecution alleged that the commission was investigating Mr Mallam over allegations of economic and financial crimes when he allegedly tore two official letters from the commission on 26 February.
The offence allegedly violated section 38 (1) and punishable under Section 38 (2) (a) and (b) of the EFCC Act.
The statement gave the dates on the documents allegedly tampered with by Mr Mallam as 1 January 2024 and 21 February 2024.
But it did not provide more details about the documents.
It also did not provide any insights about the possible motive of the defendant.
It, however, disclosed that Mr Mallam denied the charges by pleading not guilty to the charge.
Bail
Following his plea, the prosecution counsel A.M. Labaran, urged the court to fix a date for trial.
In response, defence counsel, S.S. Usman, applied for bail for Mr Mallam, saying, “My Lord, we request bail, supported by our application dated 11 July 2024.”
The trial judge, Mr Ringim, granted Mr Mallam bail in the sum of N10 million awith one surety
The surety must be a director in a government establishment or a private company with a capital of at least N10 million.
Additionally, the registrar of the court is to verify the surety’s identity.
Both the surety and the defendant must also submit two passport photographs to the court.
The trial judge ordered that the remand of Mr Mallam in the Gombe State Correctional Service pending when he would meet the bail conditions.
He then adjourned the case until 9 July for trial.
The lone charge against Mr Mallam reads, “that you, Usman Mallam on or about 26th day of February 2024 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while the officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC were caring out an investigation activity involving an alleged economic and financial crime, did willfully obstruct the said investigation by tearing the EFCC formal letters of investigation activities dated 1 January 2024 and 21 February 2024, respectively” and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 38 (1) and punishable under Section 38 (2) (a) and (b) of the Economic and financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act.”
Similar case
A similar case that readily comes to mind involved a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, who was charged with similar offences in January 2016.
The EFCC first charged Mr Metuh at the Federal High Court in Abuja with money laundering involving N400 million he allegedly took fraudulently from the Office of the National Security Adviser in November 2014 during the administration of then President Goofluck Jonathan.
Subsequently, the commission charged him at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja with two counts of destroying his statement which he made under caution to its operatives and investigators while in custody on 5 January 2016.
The trial was overseen by the then Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Ishaq Bello, now retired.
The court, at the end of the trial, adjourned for judgement. But we cannot immediately ascertained how it ended..
Mr Metuh was convicted and jailed in the mother case at the Federal High Court. But the judgement was overturned on appeal, with the Court of Appeal ordering a retrial.
By Mario Deepromoter
Three persons have been left seriously injured after a tanker with Reg No. T20 146 LA fully loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) burst into flames after colliding with a Toyota Sienna space bus at Imani roundabout in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday night, September 23.
According to the FCT Police Command spokesperson, the Police patrol teams from Maitama, Wuse and Central Police Station alongside operatives of the Federal Fire Service swiftly moved to the the scene to possibly rescue victims and extinguish the fire.
She said while no fatality was recorded, three persons, Idris Mohammed, Suleiman Gimba and Adamu Isiayku were injured and immediately rushed Maitama district hospital for medical attention.
Adeh said the situation is now under control as the combined efforts of the Police and Fire service personnel was enough to curtail and extinguish the fire.
By Mario Deepromoter
Another tragic news in the entertainment industry as popular Nigerian Islamic singer, Rukayat Gawat Oyefeso has passed away.
She was well-known for her captivating voice and religious music that resonated with many in the Muslim community.
According to.reports, the news of her death was shared by popular Ilorin based cleric Alfa Aribidesi At-Tawdeeh Islamic Da’awah his official Facebook page on Tuesday morning.
Her loss is deeply felt among her fans and the broader Islamic music scene – with the news of her death widely shared.
Further details surrounding her death have yet to be fully disclosed.
More details soon……
News
We lost 29,000 Yoruba People K!lled By Herdsmen, Separation Only Option — Akintoye On Yoruba Nation’s Survival
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The National Leader of the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, Professor Banji Akintoye, on Monday, intensified his call for separation from Nigeria asking South West governors and monarchs in the region to declare September 23 as Yoruba unity day.
He, however, alleged that suspected Fulani bandits have killed no fewer than 29,000 Yoruba people and continue to rape women and subject others to all sorts of atrocities.
He said this in a statement to mark the anniversary of Yoruba Unity Day.
Akintoye, a renowned historian, emphasized that given the continued threats to life and destruction of farmlands, the only option left is to separate Yoruba Nation from Nigeria.
He said: “The only viable and sustainable answer to all this horrible situation is to separate our Yoruba nation from Nigeria, and to establish our own country where we shall be able to exercise our sovereignty to provide security for our land and people, and where we shall be able to run our economy decently in the way that we Yoruba know.”
Claiming that the Yoruba unity day was being celebrated in Ile Ife and Ibadan, he said: “In the rural areas of our homeland, where probably the majority of our people live, the Fulani people who are determined to seize land for a homeland of their own, are daily killing our people, have killed a roughly estimated 29,000 of our people, are raping our women, kidnapping men, women and children, extorting millions of Naira in ransom for the kidnapped, destroying farms, food barns and villages.”
Calling on the South West governors and traditional rulers to adopt the unity day as a public holiday, Akintoye said: “Obas, the fathers of our nation, should adopt this Yoruba unity day in their Councils of Obas in all our Yoruba States. I urge that our Governors, when they assemble in their Southwest Governors meeting, to adopt this Yoruba unity day for all our states.”
While asking other Yoruba people to join him in his self-determination struggle, he stated: “We are seriously pushing for the separation of our Yoruba nation from Nigeria and the Nigerian disaster is different. Our perception of the Nigerian situation is not self-centred. It is not emotional. It is intellectually sound and realistic. And it is accepted by at least 80 per cent of all our Yoruba at home and in the Diaspora. Objectively, there is good reason to fear now that the Nigerian situation could destroy our Yoruba nation.”
On the creation of the security outfit, Amotekun, he said: “There was some hope when our Governors created Amotekun some years ago to resist the Fulani rampages, but Fulani people in control of the Federal Government have contrived the impotence of Amotekun. The Fulani terrorists are also becoming increasingly audacious in crimes and barbarism in our main cities.
“Our kinsman who won election as President of Nigeria is being made to face ever-mounting harassment, including threats of military overthrow, threats of wholesale regional rebellion, and even a defiant declaration of war.
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