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Protesting youths set INEC office ablaze in Benue

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The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Sankara, the headquarters of Ukum Local Government Area in Benue State was attacked and burnt on Wednesday by protesting youths.

The National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed the attack in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Prof. Sam Egwu noted that the attack occurred at 2 pm as youths protested against the activities of bandits in the area.

The protest escalated to include the destruction of several government facilities, including the INEC office.

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While no casualties have been reported, the damage to the building was said to be extensive.

Some of the items destroyed, according to the statement, include furniture, 10 electric generators, 300 ballot boxes and 270 voting cubicles, among others.

Olumekun noted that security agencies have been alerted and have already deployed personnel to the area to restore order and investigate the incident.

The statement read, “The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Benue State, Professor Sam Egwu has reported that our Local Government Area office in Sankara, headquarters of Ukum Local Government Area, has been attacked and burnt down.

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“The incident occurred at 2 p.m. today, Wednesday 3rd July 2024, when the youths in the area were said to be protesting against the activities of bandits who attacked facilities of government agencies, including INEC.

“Although no casualties were reported, the building has been extensively damaged. Office furniture and other movable and immovable materials, including 10 electric generators, 300 ballot boxes, and 270 voting cubicles, were destroyed in the attack.”

According to data released by the INEC on December 16, 2022, the commission recorded 50 attacks on its facilities across 15 states in the last four years, with Imo State topping the list of states affected with 11 incidents.

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Mahama’s inauguration: Ghanaian police IG controls traffic

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Being a typically busy day in Accra, due to the inauguration of the President-Elect, John Dramani Mahama, and his vice, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the traffic situation especially around the Independence Square is expected to be challenging.

And, although he had already deployed many police personnel to the grounds of the inauguration to ensure security, law, and order, the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, was forced at a point to help in the work itself.

In images shared by Daily Graphic on Facebook, the IGP was captured directing traffic at a certain part of the city.

This is believed to have happened as he headed to the Black Star Square to join other invited guests and dignitaries for the inauguration of John Mahama as the president of Ghana.

“The IGP stepped out of his car en route to the inauguration grounds to direct traffic,” the caption of the post on Facebook said.

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The momentous and historic occasion has drawn significant attention both domestically and internationally.

It is expected to be attended by 21 Heads of State, alongside three vice presidents, four ministers, and 24 envoys.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Information, the swearing-in ceremony will also feature a number of dignitaries from across the world, including 21 Heads of State from Africa and beyond.

Other dignitaries from across all sectors of the economy, including foreign leaders and security service personnel are also in attendance.

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Source: www.ghanaweb.com

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ICPC drags El-rufai’s ex-Chief of Staff to court over alleged money laundering

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged former Chief of Staff, to former Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Saidu, to the Federal High Court.

Saidu who was also a one-time Commissioner of Finance in Kaduna State during the El Rufai’s administration, was charged along with    one Ibrahim Muktar, ‘’a public officer in the employment of Ministry of Finance,’’ on Tuesday.

According to charge No FHC/KD/IC/2025,  the defendants are being accused of a two-count charges of Money Laundering, contrary to earlier claim that Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Saidu had  been exonerated of all charges after 10 months of investigation.

The court document stated that sometime in March 2022 or thereabouts, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Saidu, who at that time Commissioner of Finance, ‘’did accept cash payment of the sum of N155,000,000.00 from one Ibrahim Muktar exceeding the amount authorised by law, which sum you received in cash through proxy to wit: Muazu Abdu, your Special Assistant and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section2(a) and punishable under the Section 19(d) of the Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.’’

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The ICPC  also alleged that in the same March 2022 or thereabouts, Bashir Saidu ‘’indirectly took control of the sum of N155, 000,000.00 received in cash for and on behalf of you by one Muazu Abdul from Ibrahim Muktar, which fund you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: corruption and you hereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.’’

Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 states that ‘’any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection(2) is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than four years but not more than fourteen years or a fine not less than five times the value of the proceeds of the crime or both.’’

The charge  which was signed by the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of ICPC, Dr Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, was filed on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Holden in Kaduna.

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Enugu State Government System Hacked, Over N1 Billion Stolen — Police reveals

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Police authorities on Tuesday, revealed how a cyber criminal hacked into the system of the Enugu State Government and stole the whooping sum of N1,097,700,300 from its coffers.

The police said it took the swift intervention of the operatives of its departments, National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), to trace the hacker and recover the stolen money.

The spokesman of the Force, Mr. Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja during a press briefing, gave the name of the suspected hacker as Onuma Osita.

The police image maker told newsmen that the hacker had already been taken into custody while the funds estimated to be $754,977 had been recovered and returned to the state government purse.

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Adejobi said, “NPF-NCCC investigated a report by the Enugu State Government against one Onuma Osita who defrauded the Enugu State Government of over N1bn in a procurement fraud.

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