News
Super Eagles player drags UK based pastor to Court, seeks divorce, demands N1bn damages
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Super Eagles striker, Kayode Olarenwaju, has urged a Federal Capital Territory High Court to dissolve his marriage to his estranged wife, Ezinne, because it has broken down irretrievably.
The Turkey-based footballer who is also seeking custody of their children, urged the court to order a UK-based pastor, Tobi Adegboyega, to pay him N1bn in damages for the emotional trauma, financial loss, and loss of goodwill caused by his “adulterous affair” with Ezinne.
Olarenwaju and Ezinne have been engaged in a marital battle following allegations of infidelity, among other issues.
The matter took another twist when Ezinne instituted legal action against her estranged husband.
In the suit dated March 20, 2024, Ezinne accused Olarenwaju of making baseless allegations of infidelity and witchcraft against her and her mother, adding that Olarenwaju damaged her phone in the process.
She said, “Upon arriving from Turkey personally and without prior notice to his wife or children, the Respondent rained abuses on the Petitioner and her mother, making baseless accusations of infidelity and witchcraft and trying to force the Petitioner out of her matrimonial home. In the process, the Respondent smashed the Petitioner’s iPhone 15 pro-Max beyond repair.”
However, in a cross-petition marked PET/304/2024 filed on July 1, 2024, a copy of which was seen by our correspondent on Monday, the Super Eagles striker accused Ezinne of repeatedly committing adultery with the UK-based pastor and other men since their marriage in 2013.
Ezinne and the UK-based pastor are the Respondent and Co-Respondent respectively in Olarenwaju’s cross-petition.
The Super Eagles striker also claimed in his cross-petition that his estranged wife kidnapped their children, who were later rescued by the Department of State Services personnel.
He said, “Whilst the Cross Petitioner was still trying to get his facts right and phantom a means to have all the lingering issues resolved, the Respondent, under the guise of going to church on March 24, 2024, abducted the children of the marriage and absconded to an unknown location in Abuja.
The Respondent then informed his lawyer to write a petition to the DSS regarding the abduction of the children of the marriage.
“Pursuant to the aforesaid petition, the DSS was able to track the location of the Respondent and got her arrested with the children of the marriage in her hideout somewhere in Brains and Hammers Estate, Abuja. The Respondent was subsequently granted bail.”
Olanrewaju accused his estranged wife of undermining their joint business ventures.
He said, “The Cross Petitioner in his bid to have a lifetime investment in Nigeria decided sometime in 2019 to incorporate a company and indeed incorporated DE- J-S Concept Ltd. as a vehicle for his investments in Nigeria and also made the Respondent a shareholder and a director.
“The Cross Petitioner thereafter purchased many properties from one realtor, Ugochukwu Igboanugo of Ziloc Constructions Limited, who was initially introduced to the Cross Petitioner by the Respondent and it was later discovered that the said Ugochukwu Igboanugo was an ex-lover of the Respondent.
“Unknown to the Cross Petitioner, the Respondent has connived with the said Ugochukwu Igboanugo and collected all the property documents and has been solely and personally collecting rent proceeds from the properties, expending same on her amorous relationship with the Co-Respondent to the Cross Petition.”
On why the court should grant him the custody of the children, Olarenwaju said, “The Respondent is not bothered with the educational and mental well-being and stability of the children of the marriage as the same is evident in her actions by having romantic and sex-related discussions with the Co-Respondent and other men in the presence of the children. Indeed, her absconding with the children whilst school is in session without regard to academics leaves much to be desired.”
His reliefs read, “ An order for a decree of dissolution of the marriage between the Cross-Petitioner and Respondent/Petitioner on the grounds that the marriage has broken down irretrievably.
“An order granting custody of the children of the marriage to the Cross-Petitioner with right of access to the Respondent.
“An order against the Co-Respondent for the payment of the sum of N1,000,000,000 to the Cross Petitioner for the emotional trauma, financial loss and loss of goodwill occasioned by the adulterous relationship between the Co-Respondent and the Respondent.”
The matter has been slated for hearing on September 24, 2024.
News
Change Negative Narrative About EFCC Being Used For Settling Political Scores- Reps
………Ask Anti Graft Agency To Fight Financial Crimes Within Established Laws
.
……My Staff Are Poorly Paid, EFCC
…., States Why Fight Against Yahoo Boys Fierce
The House of Representatives has tasked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to purge itself from the negative impression that its being used to settle political scores and concentrate fighting financial and economic crimes within established laws.
The House handed the advise on Tuesday through the Chairman House Committee on Financial Crimes Honorable Ginger Onwusibe who led members of the committee on the 2024 oversight exercise on the commission.
The oversight covered extensive facility tour of departments and critical operational units of the antigraft agency.
In his terse remarks, Hon. Onwusibe challenged the agency to improve its operational activities in combating economic and financial crimes by complying with its 2004 Establishment Act and other relevant applicable laws like the Money Laundering ( Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022: Terrorism ( Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022: The Proceeds of Crime Act. 2022, as well as other statutes, that compels it to carry out these roles transparently with accountability and show that the negative maxim being peddled in some quarters that the agency is often being used for settling political scores is incorrect .
The committee assured that it will collaborate with the commission to actualize its mandate by enacting new laws or amending old ones and as well providing budgetary interventions, if it must strive tirelessly to be on top of its challenges
The House urged the agency to collaborate with sister agencies and desist from keeping suspects as- awaiting ‘trial in correctional centres nationwide
“At this point let me add that a recent visit to the Maximun and Minimun Correctional centres in Kirikiri Lagos State, numerous suspects have been awaiting trial for over one year and yet we are all acquainted with the saying that justice delayed is justice denied”
” It is on this note that we call on the EFCC, Attorney General of the Federation and the Judiciary to improve and ensure the administration of justice works and is efficiently delivered to the victims”
The House warned the agency to purge itself of rotten eggs in order to fight economic and financial crimes frontally, thereby stimulating the Nigerian economy
It also urged EFCC to focus properly on its mandate.
” The issue of appropriate and proper focusing on the mandate of the EFCC must relentlessly be on the front burner:
“Orders from competent courts , arrest and debt recovery must be pursued religiously” the House cautioned
But on its side, the antigraft agency said it has not deviated from its focus but rather working hard and fighting financial and economic crimes as enunciated in its mandate.
Chairman of the agency , Ola Olukeyede told his guest in his remarks during the oversight visit that the commission was doing much to fight financial and economic crimes and stimulate the Nigerian economy
He said so far that the agency has recovered over N250bn cash, tens of million of Dollars and other foreign currencies, with over 3000 convictions: 17000 petitions while also investigating over 20000,with about 4000 fresh cases , all being handled by a misery number of staff strenght
He noted that its priority is to improve the country’s image and stimulate its economy, such that there could be improvement in foregin direct investments and stimulation of the local economy.
Olukeyede however, argued that the agency needed more staff strenght, funding , better renumeration for staff because they were poorly paid. He also emphasised on modern day technology to fight the ever dynamic cyber criminals
According to the EFCC boss, it was important to give more salary to EFCC staff and deploy modern technology to fight emerging cyber crime dynamism . He expalined that the agency has increased efforts to fight Yahoo, yahhoo, boys because of their ability to crumble any economy within a twinkle of an eye
According to him, the agency was expanding its drag net to focus on ministries, departments and agencies infrastructural projects. ” “Go to MDAs and see their budget implementstion. It is not up to 20%”
“We want to ensure 50% infrastructural development” the anti graft boss announced, insisting that it would henceforth encourage monitoring of project implementation which was an aspect of preventing financial crimes
He said the agency has dismissed lots of erring staff, and will continue to dismiss and even prosecute them going forward.
Olukeyede disclosed that it had designed a template on staff integrity, using the Gift- Policy model
.” It is not every thankful gift we should collect” the EFCC boss warned
” I am advocating for more welfare improvement, better welfare, he said.
“We will do more recoveries, more convictions, but we need more resources to do our work, maintaining that, that was his stand on ethics and integrity .
Olokeyede’s demand for more salary wage for staff of the commission, is seen as an incentive to boost welfare and morale to fight financial crimes to standstill.
He stated that there was the utmost need to increase salaries of staff of the commission
The EFCC boss who spoke on his stewardship in the last one year, further added that it increased the war against Yahoo- Yahoo boys because of the consequences of their nefarious acts which could crumble a nation’s economy in a jiffy.
He argued that more technology was required to fight financial crimes.
For instance he explained that it was a common scenario then for thieves and armed robbers to attack and break into banks with guns and Dynamites
” But it is the same common and more easier scenario and task now to have Yahoo-Yahoo boys and bank thieves attack banks with technology in the comfort of their homes or hideouts”
“So we need technology and we also need to increase our fight against these Yahoo boys who can dismantle any economy within a twinkle of an eye
He called on the national Assembly to improve and increase its finances because fighting Financial crimes was a herculean task that requires adequate funding
Olokeyede who apparently was responding to criticisms of the commission’s over concentration on Cyber crimes/ thieves, perpetrated by Yahoo boys, said he has made tremendous impact in enforcement, investigation and conviction with an outstanding record convictions between October 2023 when he was appointed till date
News
Trouble looming for Obaseki as Gov Okpebholo orders probe of his admin
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has ordered the setting up of a committee to probe the immediate-past administration of Godwin Obaseki for its failure to inaugurate 14 Edo Assembly lawmakers-elect into the 7th Assembly.
Okpebholo disclosed this while giving his inaugural speech as the new governor of the state.
Governor Okpebholo also ordered the State Chief Judge to immediately investigate the initial delay of former Governor Obaseki to inaugurate duly-cleared judges by the National Judicial Council (NJC) last year
News
Naira may depreciate to N1,993 against dollar – Report
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Nigeria’s naira has been projected to depreciate further to N1,993 per dollar in the coming days.
This is according to BMI, a Fitch Solutions subsidiary report title, ‘Weak Naira and Structural Challenges to Constrain Nigeria’s Medical Devices Market Growth’.
The report said the forecasted depreciation will be predicated on the 95 percent dependence on imports for pharmaceuticals in Nigeria.
According to the report, the development would erode both the health system and patient purchasing power.
“We expect that the naira will end 2028 at N1,993/$ from N306/$ in 2018.
“As the naira weakens, the cost of importing medical devices will continually increase, eroding both the health system and patient purchasing power, especially to invest in essential medical technologies given the underfunding of the public health sector,” the report stated.
This comes as Naira fell to N1681.42 and N1735 at the official and parallel foreign exchange markets on Monday.
This comes as FMDQ FX transaction turnover dropped significantly from $1.4 billion on Friday to $471.5 million on Monday.
Last Thursday, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, said the country’s external reserves rose to $40 billion.
Despite Central Bank of Nigeria’s interventions and external reserves rise in the last months, the naira has continued to experience fluctuations in the FX market.
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