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Court orders final forfeiture of multi-million naira hotel allegedly linked to NOUN’s ex-VC

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By Francesca Hangeior

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered a final forfeiture of a multi-million naira hotel, Sunflower Hotel Ltd, in Kaduna State, linked to Prof. Vincent Tenebe, a former Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, to the Federal Government.

Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the order following a motion on notice for the final forfeiture of the property moved by F.O. Dibang, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“Order is hereby made forfeiting property set out in the scheduled attached herein found in the possession of the respondent as properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities to the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Justice Ekwo ordered.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the order, made on Oct. 22, was sighted on Monday in Abuja.

While the EFCC was the applicant in the motion on notice, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/33/2024, Sunflower Hotel Ltd was the sole respondent.

The motion was dated and filed on June 21.

Court orders final forfeiture of multi-million naira hotel allegedly linked to NOUN’s ex-VC
It could be recalled that Justice Ekwo had, on Feb. 16, granted the anti-graft agency’s application for the preservation of the hotel.

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The judge also directed the EFCC to publish the order, within 14 days, in any national newspaper and on its website or by any other means of publication.

He said this was to enable all persons or bodies who might have interest in the property known as Sunflower Hotel located in Kaduna to claim ownership of the property and to show cause why the property should not be forfeited to the Federal Government.

The case was then adjourned until March 5 for a report.

Meanwhile, in the affidavit in support of the motion on notice dated and filed on June 21, Dare Opeyemi, the operative in the Economic Governance Section of EFCC, said he had the consent of the commission’s chairman to depose to the affidavit.

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Opeyemi said sometime in December 2022, the commission received “intelligence report alleging the offence of conspiracy and stealing, diversion of public funds and criminal breach of trust involving one Monday Oyeme, erstwhile Chairman, Delta State Board of Internal Revenue and a former Bursar of NOUN, and one Adamu Danlami, the owner of Crossbill International Limited, who are all ( at large)”

He said the investigation, which had been concluded, revealed that Onyeme, while he was the Bursar of NOUN, conspired with other staff to divert public funds into companies where he had subsisting interest.

He said that investigations further revealed that Crossbill International Limited owned by Danladi received a huge portion of the illicit funds fraudulently diverted from the institution’s account by Mr Onyeme.

Opeyemi averred that investigation revealed also that Crossbill International Limited, from the illicit funds diverted from NOUN account, made payments to other entities known as Wanone Investment Limited , Tanadi Limited , Namutane Foundation and SUNFLOWER Hotel Limited.

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To prove its case, EFCC annexed a copy of the account statements of Blacksnow Ltd, Eno Global Services Nigeria Ltd and Crossbill International Ltd showing transfers and withdrawals made as exhibits.

According to the official, it was also discovered during the course of investigation that all the entities mentioned in paragraph seven of this affidavit are linked to a former Vice Chancellor of the National open University of Nigeria, Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe.

“Investigations revealed that the sum of Two Hundred and Seventy Five Million, Eighty One Thousand Eight Hundred and Ninety Six Naira Ninety Kobo (N=275,081,896.09) traced to the Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe’s account was used in building the hotel know as Sunflower Hotel Limited located at Sunflower Crescent, Unguwan Maigero Road, Narayi, Kaduna State.

“That Sunflower Hotel Limited was originally an uncompleted building purchased by Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe from one Yakubu Mamman Akhagbeme, a brother in-law to the said Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe.

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“A copy of the statement by Mr Yakubu Mamman is hereby annexed and marked as Exhibit EFFC 3.

“That the sum of N275, 01,896.90 presumed to be diverted from the account of National Open University by Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe was used to fund the renovation and completion of Sunflower Hotel limited, the subject of this application.

“That the applicant reasonably believes that the property mentioned in the schedule to this application is a proceeds of crime i.e diversion of public funds belonging to NOUN.

“That in the course of investigation, it was further revealed that Professor Tenebe is neither a director or shareholders of Sunflower hotel Ltd but he purchased the Hotel from his brother in-law Yakubu Mamman Akhagbeme from the proceeds of crime.

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“That investigation further revealed that the company has Rabi Ado Tenebe, Mamman Yakubu Akhagbeme, Mohammed Angulu Yakubu , Amashigi Rabi Mustapha, Dickson Akhagbeme Onomoso and Abrahim Ado Tenebe as directors of the company.

“That in the course of investigation, the team had implored all efforts to reach the suspects mentioned in the above preceding paragraph, but all efforts made proved abortive,” he said.

Opeyemi said their investigations revealed that none of the directors of the company, as shown from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)’s documents, was the owner of the Sunflower Hotel Limited.

He said that after it obtained the interim order on Feb. 16, the commission complied with the order by publishing the notice of interim order on the EFCC’s website and the Leadership Newspaper of March 5.

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The official said the anti-corruption agency also filed an affidavit of compliance with respect to the Feb. 16 order.

He, however, averred that no person, body, corporate or any financial institution had raised any objection so far as far as the period of the publication had lapsed.

“It is imperative to obtain the final order of this honourable court.

“it (the property) is presumed to be owned by unknown persons, abandoned or unclaimed and in the interest of justice forfeit to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, being a proceeds of crime.

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“That this case is of very urgent public interest and concern, that the proceeds and instrumentality of crime in this case be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria, and shall be released to the victim, National Open University, in due course.”

The investigator said it would be in the interest of justice that a final forfeiture was granted to enable the commission to take full legal control and management of the assets on behalf and to the benefit of the Federal Government.

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Anambra takes action against primary school over N5,000 prefect nomination fee

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The Anambra State Government has slammed a one-month sanction on Blossom Fount School, Awka, for monetising student leadership by charging pupils N5,000 to contest for the position of head prefect.

The sanction, announced on Saturday by the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh follows reports that the school imposed the controversial fee on pupils in its primary section vying for leadership roles.

Describing the practice as “despicable,” Chuma-Udeh expressed outrage at what she called an attempt to commercialise student leadership and exploit the ambitions of young children.

She said, “Investigation is going on to know how the school is being run. It is an act of selling the psyche of the children to the highest bidder from the cradle, and it is not acceptable to this government.”

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“The act of commercialising student leadership and exploiting children’s ambitions for financial gain is despicable. It amounts to selling the psyche of the children to the highest bidder from the cradle, and it is strongly condemned,” she added.

Chuma-Udeh stressed that Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration remains committed to upholding integrity and fairness within the education system, stating that such practices will not be tolerated.

According to reliable sources, the ministry’s investigation is still ongoing, and further sanctions may be imposed depending on the outcome. The goal, officials say, is to ensure accountability and deter similar actions in schools across the state.

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NELFUND: ICPC deepens probe on loan fraud

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has continued its probe into the alleged discrepancies in the disbursement of funds under the Federal Government’s student loan scheme, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.

This comes amid repeated denials from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund that no money was missing in the student loan scheme.

Sources within the anti-graft agency told our correspondent that the investigation began after NELFUND sent a request, asking the agency to track the disbursed funds, after the National Orientation Agency raised the alarm that some schools were cheating the students on the loans disbursed to them.

One of the sources, an official of the agency who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the matter, however, said no one had been indicted yet.

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“We have just started the investigation. It was NELFUND that brought the matter to us to help them track where the money might have gone. We’ve not indicted anyone, but the allegation is still there,” the official said.

According to the source, preliminary findings revealed that N100bn was earmarked for the programme, but N28.8bn was disbursed to students.

Another source said further investigation had, however, shown that N203.8bn was received, out of which N44bn was disbursed.

“So far, we have not indicted anybody. They have disbursed N44bn. But when we get the recipients, we will find out if they did receive that amount. If they received the said amount, we will now find out where the discrepancy came from,” the senior official said.

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The source urged Nigerians to remain patient and avoid insinuations, adding that the agency would disclose its findings once the investigation was complete.

“Nigerians should be patient with us and let us do our work. There is no need for insinuations. We are getting to the root of this. If the amount of N44bn has been received by the recipients, then there won’t be any problem. And if there are discrepancies, we will unearth them and disclose them to Nigerians,” the source said.

“If there are discrepancies, we will unearth them,” another source added.

NELFUND, on its part, has continued to dismiss the allegations of misappropriation as “entirely false and deeply damaging.”

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In a statement issued on May 1, the Fund’s Director of Strategic Communications, Mrs. Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, stated that “the integrity of an institution established to deliver financial hope to millions of Nigerians must not be undermined by unverified claims.”

Managing Director of the Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, also maintained this position during an appearance on Channels Television on May 4.

He confirmed that the Fund had actually received about N203bn, broken down as N10bn from the Ministry of Finance, N50bn from the EFCC’s proceeds of crime, and N143bn from TETFund.

He said, “The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has received about N203bn. I’ll break it down for you: N10bn from the Office of the Minister of Finance through the Office of the Accountant General, N50bn from the EFCC’s proceeds of crime, and N143bn from TETFund. So you can see already that the actual amount received is in excess of what’s even been said to have been received.

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“Out of that, N54bn has been disbursed to date, while N30bn and N24bn had gone to institutions and for upkeep respectively. So there’s a pocket money side to this. That’s N54bn disbursed already in the space of about 11 and a half months. It’s in the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

Sawyerr reiterated this stance when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Students Loan, Scholarship, and Higher Education on May 8, firmly stating that no funds were missing.

The controversy first gained traction in April following a National Orientation Agency investigation, which uncovered claims that some tertiary institutions, in collaboration with banks, were withholding student loan disbursements.

Efforts to reach ICPC’s spokesperson, Demola Bakare, proved abortive.

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15 pipeline vandals convicted in Niger Delta, says Ribadu

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No fewer than 15 pipeline vandals across the Niger Delta region have been convicted, while 100 others are being prosecuted.

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this on Friday at a town hall meeting organised by Petroleum Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, a pipeline surveillance contractor, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Ribadu, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Energy, Security and Finance, Amakiri Harry-Young, said his office was working assiduously to protect crude oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta region.

He said those convicted were being held at the Port Harcourt Custodial Centre.

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The NSA revealed that a special committee comprising investigative and prosecuting teams had been working round the clock to ensure that pipeline vandals and other offenders face justice.

According to him, the move followed concerns raised during a previous meeting about the arrest and quick release of oil vandals, which often led to further insecurity in the affected communities.

“The President is serious about the 2.5 million barrels, and we are doing everything necessary to reach that goal,” he said.

He added that success would depend on the collective efforts of all stakeholders involved, as the Federal Government was taking strong action against pipeline vandals who threatened national assets and local communities.

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In his opening address, the PINL Consultant on Community Relations, Dr Akpos Mezeh, said the firm had recorded major successes in safeguarding the Trans-Niger Pipeline through close collaboration with host communities, security agencies, and other key stakeholders.

Mezeh also stated that PINL had helped reduce crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism to near-zero infractions on the pipeline by investing in community needs, resolving disputes, and restoring the environment.

He pointed out that PINL had also improved crude oil production and restored greater investor confidence, thereby contributing to an increase in national revenue.

The President of the Ijaw National Congress, Prof Benjamin Okaba, stressed that Ijaw communities had always supported Nigeria’s unity and economic stability and also taken the lead in the management of pipelines through companies like PINL.

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Okaba called on communities to fully support PINL’s operations, stressing that any success recorded in protecting pipelines was also a credit to the Ijaw people.

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