EFCC uncovers how FIRS director received over N700m cash payment

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has uncovered how a former Coordinating Director of Federal Inland Revenue Service, Peter Hena, received over N700 million cash between January 2017 and December 2018.

The Commission had last Thursday arraigned Mr Hena on 42-count before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Also arraigned were the Director of Finance,Mohammed Auta; Amina Sidi (Finance and Account department); Umar Aduka (Internal Audit); Mbura Mustapha (Deputy Manager); Obi Malachy (Services Group); Obaje Adofu (Head of Budget); Udo-Inyang Alfred (Officer II) and Benjamin Jiya (Assistant Director).

According to the charge sheet obtained by The Punch, Mr Hena and eight others shared N4.5 billion in illegal estacodes and fraudulent Duty Tour Allowances.

The statement disclosed that while being FIRS coordinating director, Hena accepted N45m cash from Auta without going through a financial institution contrary to section 1(a) and punishable under section 16(2) (b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act,2011 as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012.

EFCC investigations also revealed that Mr Hena received another N75m cash payment from Mbura and N99m from Okeke.

Count six of the charge further stated, “That you, Peter Hena, while being Co-coordinating director in the Federal Inland Revenue Service between January 2017 and December 2018 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did accept N127m from Benjamin Jiya which exceeded N5m without going through a financial institution contrary to section 1(a) and punishable under section 16(2) (b) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act,2011 as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012.”

The first defendant was also said to have received N145m cash from Sidi of the FIRS Finance and Accounts department.

Detectives also discovered that Hena similarly received N92m cash from Aduku and another N128.6m from Auta who was said to have taken possession of N258.6m from other FIRS officials.

In addition, the EFCC stated that Auta while being finance director retained N85m “under the guise that the funds was for stakeholders” when he reasonably ought to have known that the fund formed proceeds of unlawful activities, fraud, corruption and criminal appropriation of public funds.

Mr Aduka was found to have transferred N200m to Mr Hena, and also paid N97.1m into his own GTB bank account number 0023004712 under the guise of duty tour allowances.

MILITARY CONTRACT FRAUD: CABAL, EX-SERVICE CHIEFS FIGHT NSA

written by Our Reporter March 18, 2021

For daring to question the lack of military equipment to prosecute the war against Boko Haram and terrorism ravaging Nigeria, the President Mohammadu Buhari cabal led by Mamman Daura and Sabiu Yusuf, aka Tunde, are mounting a well-orchestrated campaign to remove the National Security Adviser, NSA, Babagana Monguno.

Only recently, Monguno had insisted that nobody has the information about the whereabouts of the billions budgeted for the procurement of arms during the reign of ex-Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; ex-Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; ex-Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and ex-Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar as service chiefs.

Recall that in February 2020, Monguno had in a letter addressed to President Buhari raised the alarm over unauthorized meetings between Abba Kyari and the service chiefs, a development he said was adding to the niggling security challenge.

The NSA wrote: “Chief of staff to the president is not a presiding head of security, neither is he sworn to an oath of defending the country.

“As such, unprofessional practices such as presiding over meetings with service chiefs and heads of security organisations as well as ambassadors and high commissioners to the exclusion of the NSA and/or supervising ministers are a violation of the Constitution and directly undermine the authority of Mr President.

“Such acts and continued meddlesomeness by chief of staff have not only ruptured our security and defence efforts, but have slowed down any meaningful gain that Mr. President has sought to achieve.”

However, miffed by Monguno’s boldness, sources toldPointblanknews.com that Mamman Daura, Buhari’s nephew, Yusuf, a Personal Assistant to Buhari and Governor Bello Mohammad Matawalle of Zamfara State have ganged up to blackmail the NSA and have him keep quiet from questioning the whereabouts of weapons supposedly paid for.

According to findings, less than 24hrs after Monguno’s interview with the BBC, the cabal led by Yusuf aka Tunde directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to fish for “whatever” to indict the NSA.

Part of the moves according to a source knowledgeable with the scheme, is to investigate Brigadier General Jafaru Mohammed, a Director of Finance in the office of the NSA.

General Mohammed is suspected to be a front of the NSA whom they allege has acquired properties on behalf of Monguno.

Sources told Pointblanknews.com that during the reign of Ibrahim Magu as EFCC Chairman, the cabal through late Chief of Staff Abba Kyari, had used him to investigate Monguno. The investigation yielded no result against the NSA whom many within the security circle see as upright and as someone not interested in primitive acquisition of materialism.

Pointblanknews.com investigations revealed that once Magu was removed and Mohammed Umar appointed as Acting Chairman of the EFCC, he was immediately mandated to investigate the NSA. His investigations of Monguno throughout his short-lived tenure yielded nothing.

According to Pointblanknews.com sources, as soon as Monguno’s BBC Hausa interview over weapons for the military went viral, the cabal and the ex-service chiefs felt embarrassed and immediately commissioned the new EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, to go after the NSA.

“That is why as soon as that BBC interview was aired and the cabal felt embarrassed, they immediately asked Bawa to commence investigation of the NSA,” a source told Pointblanknews.com.

According to the source, “they have investigated the NSA and found nothing. They did that twice with Magu and Umar and since they couldn’t link any corruption directly to him, they are going after his Director of Finance in hopes of getting something and they would fail.”

Pointblanknews.com gathered that most of the properties linked to General Mohammed are the ones he had acquired before he was appointed as Director of Finance in the NSA’s office.

A top security source who described Monguno as a saint among sinners, said the forces fighting the NSA are bent on blackmailing him to make him keep quiet and desist from making further disclosures on the state of arms acquisition to fight insurgents. The network of the Aso Rock cabal namely Mamman Daura and Yusuf , according to our sources, has recruited the likes of Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, two former bosses at EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde and Ibrahim Magu, the new EFCC Chairman, Bawa, the governor of Zamfara, Matawalle, remnants of the cabal namely Babagana Kingibe and Lawal Daura, to prosecute their war of attrition against the NSA.

The latest onslaught against the NSA by Bawa through Brigadier General Jafaru Mohammed is said to be a continuation of the old script drafted by Magu and Lamorde. Bawa is described in security circle as the god son of Lamorde. It was said that Bawa’s loyalty is more to Lamorde than Abubakar Malami who recommended him for the EFCC top job.

 

EFCC Gets Order For Forfeiture Of Army General’s Property

By
• John Chuks Azu

Wed Mar 17 2021

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has obtained an interim forfeiture order in respect of eight properties linked to Brigadier-General Jafaru Mohammed.

Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo granted an ex parte application for interim forfeiture of the assets and property by the chairman of the EFCC, made on March 9.

• Law permits Adamu to remain IGP till 2024 – Buhari, Malami
• EFCC gets order for forfeiture of army general’s property

The court ordered the publication of the interim forfeiture of the assets and invited people “who may have interest in the assets and properties listed in the schedule to show cause, within 14 days of such publication, why a final order of forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria of the said assets and properties should not be made.”

The assets traced to the proxies and associates of the General include: House on Plot 7, God’s Own Estate, Road 1, Wamna District, Abuja; a fencer plot at No 1 Jubril Aminu Crescent, Katampe Extension, Abuja; plot at Kubwa Express, Directly opposite Abuja Model City Gate, Abuja; and a house on Block SD 22 House 2, Road 5, Kabusa Garden Estate, Abuja.

Others are: No 15, 21 Crescent, 2nd Avenue, Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja; No 3 Liverpool Close, Sun City Estate, Abuja; No 52 Mainstreet, Sun City Estate, Abuja; and No 25 Osaka Street, Sun City Estate, Abuja.

FEC approves $1.5bn for rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Refinery

March 17, 2021

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday, March 17, approved the sum of $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Refinery in Rivers state.

The approval was given at the 38th virtual FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja today.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva confirmed this while addressing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting at the Presidential Villa.

Sylva said; “The Ministry of Petroleum Resources presented a memo on the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery for the sum of $1.5bn, and that memo was $1.5 billion and it was approved by council today.

“So, we are happy to announce that the rehabilitation of the refinery will commence in three phases. The first phase is to be completed in 18 months, which will take the refinery to a production of 90 percent of its nameplate capacity.

“The second phase is to be completed in 24 months and all the final stage will be completed in 44 months and consultations are approved.

“And I believe that this is good news for Nigeria.”

2021 Grammy Awards: Burna Boy, Wizkid win big (See full list of winners)

Published

 

on

 March 15, 2021

By

 Nsikak Nseyen

Nigerian Stars, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, AKA Burna Boy, and Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, AKA Wizkid won their first Grammy award on Sunday.

The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, acclaimed to be the world’s most prestigious music honours, held on Sunday night at Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles.

Burna Boy won the award for the Best Global Music Album, with ‘Twice as Tall’, while Wizkid’s song with Beyoncé ‘Brown Skin Girl’ won the best music video.

Performers at the event included Burna Boy, Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.

Beyoncé, who led the field with nine nominations, broke the record for the most Grammy wins ever by a female artist and most Grammy wins ever by a singer. However, Taylor Swift took home her third Album of the Year award.

Here are the full list of winners

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL:
WINNER: Andrew Watt

COUNTRY SONG:
WINNER: “Crowded Table” — Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)

COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE:
WINNER: 10,000 Hours — Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber

COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE:
WINNER: “When My Amy Prays” — Vince Gill

ROCK ALBUM:
WINNER: The New Abnormal — The Strokes

ROCK SONG:
WINNER: “Stay High” — Brittany Howard, Songwriter (Brittany Howard)

METAL PERFORMANCE:
WINNER: “Bum-Rush“ — Body Count

ROCK PERFORMANCE:
WINNER: “Shameika” — Fiona Apple

RAP ALBUM:
WINNER: King’s Disease — Nas

RAP/SUNG PERFORMANCE:
WINNER: “Savage” — Megan Thee Stallion Featuring Beyoncé

TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM:
WINNER: American Standard — James Taylor

POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE:
WINNER: “Rain on Me” — Lady Gaga with

R&B ALBUM:
WINNER: Bigger Love — John Legend

PROGRESSIVE R&B ALBUM:
WINNER: It Is What It Is — Thundercat

R&B SONG:
WINNER: “Better Than I Imagine” — Robert

TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE:
WINNER: “Anything For You” — Ledisi

LATIN JAZZ ALBUM:
WINNER: Four Questions — Arturo O’farrill &

LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM:
WINNER: Data Lords — Maria Schneider Orchestra

JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM:
WINNER: Trilogy 2 — Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade

JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM:
WINNER: Secrets Are The Best Stories — Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez

IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO:
WINNER: All Blues — Chick Corea, Soloist

ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM:
WINNER: Fetch the Bolt Cutters — Fiona Apple

MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM:
WINNER: Jagged Little Pill — Kathryn

COMEDY ALBUM:
WINNER: Black Mitzvah — Tiffany Haddish

SPOKEN WORD ALBUM:
WINNER: Blowout: Corrupted Democracy,

GLOBAL MUSIC ALBUM:
WINNER: Twice As Tall — Burna Boy

REGGAE ALBUM:
WINNER: Got To Be Tough — Toots & The Maytals

FOLK ALBUM:
WINNER: All the Good Times — Gillian Welch & David Rawling

CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM:
WINNER: Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? — Fantastic Negrito

TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM:
WINNER: Rawer Than Raw — Bobby Rush

BLUEGRASS ALBUM:
WINNER: Home — Billy Strings

AMERICANA ALBUM:
WINNER: World On The Ground — Sarah Jarosz

AMERICAN ROOTS SONG:
WINNER: “I Remember Everything” — Pat Mclaughlin & John Prine, Songwriters (John Prine)

AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE:
WINNER: “I Remember Everything” — John Prine

SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA:
WINNER: “No Time To Die” [From “No Time To Die”] — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas Baird O’Connell, Songwriters (Billie Eilish)

SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR A VISUAL MEDIA:
WINNER: “Joker” — Hildur Guðnadóttir, Composer

COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR A VISUAL MEDIA:
WINNER: “Jojo Rabbit” (Various Artists)

CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL COMPOSITION:
WINNER: Rouse: Symphony No. 5 — Christopher Rouse, Composer (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

CLASSICAL COMPENDIUM:
WINNER: Thomas, M.T.: From The Diary Of Anne Frank & Meditations On Rilke — Isabel Leonard; Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductor; Jack Vad, Producer

CLASSICAL SOLO ALBUM VOCAL:
WINNER: Smyth: The Prison — Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton; James Blachly, Conductor (Experiential Chorus; Experiential Orchestra)

CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTAL SOLO:
WINNER: Theofanidis: Concerto For Viola And Chamber Orchestra — Richard O’neill; David m

CHORAL PERFORMANCE:
WINNER: Danielpour: The Passion Of Yeshua — Joann Falletta, Conductor; James K. Bass &

CHAMBER MUSIC/SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE:
WINNER: Contemporary Voices — Pacifica Quartet

OPERA RECORDING:
WINNER: Gershwin: Porgy And Bess — David Robertson, Conductor; Angel Blue & Eric Owens; David Frost, Producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE:
WINNER: Ives: Complete Symphonies —

TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM:
WINNER: 40 — Grupo Niche

REGIONAL MEXICAN MUSIC ALBUM:
WINNER: Un Canto Por México, Vol. 1 — Natalia Lafourcade
Hecho En México — Alejandro Fernández

LATIN ROCK OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM:
WINNER: La Conquista Del Espacio — Fito Paez

ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL:
WINNER: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, ‘Babi Yar’

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, CLASSICAL:
WINNER: David Frost

REMIXED RECORDING:
WINNER: Roses (IMANBEK Remix) — Imanbek Zeikenov, Remixer (SAINt Jhn)

ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL:
WINNER: Hyperspace — Drew Brown, Andrew Coleman, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, David Greenbaum, Jaycen Joshua & Mike Larson, Engineers; Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer (Beck)

HISTORICAL ALBUM:
WINNER: It’s Such A Good Feeling: The Best Of Mister Rogers — Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski, Compilation Producers; Michael Graves, Mastering Engineer (Mister Rogers)
Celebrated, 1895-1896 — Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, Compilation Producers; Richard Martin, Mastering Engineer (Unique Quartette)

Richard Dodd, Mastering Engineer (Béla Fleck)
ALBUM NOTES:
WINNER: Dead Man’s Pop — Bob Mehr, Album Notes Writer (The Replacements)

BOXED OR SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PACKAGE:
WINNER: Ode To Joy — Lawrence Azerrad & Jeff Tweedy, Art Directors (Wilco)

RECORDING PACKAGING:
WINNERS: Vols. 11 & 12 — Doug Cunningham & Jason Noto, Art Directors (Desert Sessions)
Everyday Life — Pilar Zeta, Art Director (Coldplay)

ROOTS GOSPEL ALBUM:
WINNER: Celebrating Fisk! (The 150th Anniversary Album) — Fisk Jubilee Singers
Beautiful Day — Mark Bishop

CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM:
WINNER: Jesus Is King — Kanye West

GOSPEL ALBUM:
WINNER: Gospel According To Pj — Pj Morton
2econd Wind: Ready — Anthony Brown

NEW AGE ALBUM:
WINNER: More Guitar Stories — Jim “Kimo” West

DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM:
WINNER: Bubba — Kaytranada

MUSIC FILM:
WINNER: “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice” — Linda Ronstadt

MUSIC VIDEO:
WINNER: “Brown Skin Girl,” Beyoncé — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & Jenn Nkiru, Video Directors; Lauren Baker, Astrid Edwards, Nathan Scherrer & Erinn Williams, Video Producers

ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTAL AND VOCALS:
He Won’t Hold You — Jacob Collier, Arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Rapsody) | WINNER

DANCE RECORDING:
WINNER: 10% Kaytranada Featuring Kali Uchis — Kaytranada, producer; Neal H. Pogue,

CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM:
WINNER: Live At The Royal Albert Hall — Snarky Puppy

INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION:
WINNER Sputnik — Maria Schneider, Composer (Maria Schneider)

ARRANGEMENT, INSTRUMENTAL OR A CAPPELLA:
WINNER: Donna Lee — John Beasley, Arranger (John Beasley)

Buhari Would Have Breached ECOWAS Protocol Signing Electoral Bill...Sen Omo-Agege

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central) said the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance forbids President Muhammadu Buhari from signing the Electoral Bill.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker gave this insight in a phone interview with newsmen in Abuja on Friday night.

Article 2 of the protocol forbids member countries from making “substantial modification” to their electoral laws less than six months to elections “except with the consent of a majority of political actors”.

Omo-Agege, who is a staunch supporter of the President, noted that with the elections less than three months away, signing the bill would violate the ECOWAS instrument.


NAN reports that the presidential and National Assembly elections are slated for Feb. 16, 2019, while those of governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on March 2.

Omo-Agege said, “I have yet to see the president’s letter to the Senate, but this bill means so much to Mr President. On a good day he would want to sign it.

“However, without even seeing the reasons he has advanced so far, I am aware of the challenges posed by the ECOWAS protocol.

“I don’t know if that is part of the reasons he has advanced, but with the bill coming two months or thereabout before the election, assenting to it will breach the protocol.”

Newsmen report that Buhari did not mention the ECOWAS instrument as part of his reasons for declining assent to the bill for the fourth time.

The president’s latest decision came in a letter dated Dec. 6, 2018 and addressed to both chambers of the National Assembly.

He said signing the amendment bill with elections close by could “create some uncertainty about the legislation to govern the process”.

“Any real or apparent change to the rules this close to the elections may provide an opportunity for disruption and confusion in respect of which law governs the electoral process,” he stated.

Buhari, therefore, asked the National Assembly to specifically state in the bill that the amended Electoral Act would come into effect after the 2019 general elections.

Reacting to the development, Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi, who represents Delta North on the platform of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the reasons given by the president were “untenable”.

“It is not a good reason for him not to sign the bill because the Senate worked with INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) in preparing that bill.

“If INEC felt otherwise, they would have advised us when we were working on it.

“You are aware of the controversy that this issue of amendment of the act has generated, with people accusing the Senate of not wanting to amend the act.

“We amended it, but he declined assent the first, second and third time; he made certain observations, which we agreed with.

“We sent it again, and the reason he is giving now is that it will disrupt the election. It is really unfortunate,” he said.

An Abuja-based lawyer and civil rights campaigner, Mr Frank Tietie, said the credibility of the 2019 elections was at stake without the compulsory use of card readers as proposed in the bill.

Although, INEC has been using the card reader for elections since 2015, there is no provision for the technology in the extant electoral law, making its use optional.

Tietie said, “Without the card reader and electronic transmission of results, our elections have been subjected to might, brute force and the power of money.

“Card readers and electronic transmission of results have totally eliminated that, and there is need for a legal force to that.

“This is what the amendment seeks. Buhari’s refusal to allow the card reader and electronic transmission of results will only lead to electoral compromise,” he said.

In September, Sen. Ita Enang, Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant (SSA), said the president had no problem with the use of the card reader contrary to allegations by the opposition.

Why PMB didn't sign Electoral Bill...

“Pursuant to section 58 (4) of constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I hereby convey to the House of Representatives, my decision on 6th December 2018 to decline Presidential Accent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill , 2018 recently passed by the National Assembly,” he wrote.

“I am declining assent to the Bill principally because I am concerned that passing a new electoral bill this far into the electoral process for the 2019 general election which commenced under the 2015 Electoral Act, could create some uncertainty about the applicable legislation to govern the process.

“Any real or apparent change to the rules this close to the election may provide an opportunity for disruption and confusion in respect of which law governs the electoral process.

“This leads me to believe that it is in the best interest of the country and our democracy for the national assembly to specifically state in the Bill, that the Electoral Act will come into effect and be applicable to elections commencing after the 2019 General Election...

“It is also important for the following drafting amendments to be made to the Bill: section 5 of the Bill, amending section 18 of the Principal Act should indicate the subsection to which the substitution of the figure “30” for the figure “60” is to be affected.

“Section 11 of the Bill, amending Section 36 should indicate the subsection in which the proviso is to be introduced.

“Section 24 of the Bill which amends Section 85 (1) should be redrafted in full as the introduction of the “electing” to the sentence may be interpreted to mean that political parties may give 21 days notice of the intention to merge, as opposed to the 90 days provided in Section 84 (2) of the Electoral Act which provides the provision for merge of political parties.

“The definition of the term “Ward Collection officer” should be revised to reflect a more descriptive definition than the capitalized and undefined term “Registration Area Collation Officer.”

Muhammadu Buhari